CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (CBS19 NEWS) -- The original Salvation Army building has sat on Ridge Street now for 60 years. 

"It's served its purpose and has served it well," said Captain Mark Van Meter of the Charlottesville Salvation Army.

It's time for a makeover.

Since 2017, conversations have been taking place to renovate and add onto the Salvation Army building.

Van Meter details what the new building will look like and provide.

"It's going to look very modern. Other than the name, 'The Salvation Army' on the front, as you drive down Ridge Street it will look like a lot of these hotels. This is a pretty tight footprint for the construction project we'll be doing," he said.

He says it will be a 47,000-square foot, four-story building with 100 beds and seven apartments for transitional living.

"On a typical night the shelter is full, both men and women's sides. There is no question that even at 100 bed capacity for the new building, we will probably fill up pretty quickly," said Van Meter.

The project was approved by City Council. Councilor Michael Payne says the expansion will play a crucial role in their own affordable housing plans.

"It's going to be able to get people who are currently homeless somewhere where they can stay temporarily and hopefully get connected with permanent affordable housing unit," he said.

The new facility will, not only serve the homeless, but also the broader Charlottesville community. It will include a multipurpose room for community programming and classrooms.

"So it might be new senior programs, new youth programs, music classes, English as a second language courses, all kinds of things," said Van Meter.

Because of the amount of space the expansion will take up on the existing property, Van Meter says administrative offices will be pushed off-site.

"We know that our services are needed in this center city area, so we are going to do our best to keep our administrative offices in this area. But, certainly our social services will be accessible in this area," he said.

While demolition is scheduled for six to eight months from now, Van Meter says the Army will continue to accept donations.

"We really do depend on, not only the large gifts but when we get to out community portion of the capital campaign, even those individuals that will commit the $100, $500 gifts toward this project every penny is going to count," he said.

The capital campaign will be for facility and an endowment to run it and the general donations will help them run operations on a daily basis.