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A downtown Bethesda office building could become the next addition to the county's network of housing options for its homeless residents.

The Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless in April purchased an office building at the intersection of Woodmont and Cordell avenues and plans to convert it into a 32-unit affordable housing complex, said coalition Executive Director Sharan London.

"The thing we always talk about is having a continuum of housing options," she said. "And think about it. If you were someone who was low-income you would like something close to public transportation, close to the social services you need, close to jobs."

The coalition purchased the 44-year-old, 17,000-square-foot building for $5.25 million from the East Diamond Limited Liability Corporation, according to tax records.

London said she hopes to keep the ground level of the building as retail—the space currently houses an African art and furniture shop—and have the building renovated and ready for residents to move into within a year. The building will not have to be rezoned, she said, and rent for the tenants will be 30 percent of their income.

Susan Kirk, executive director of Bethesda Cares, a nonprofit that serves the homeless and working poor, said she was ecstatic when she heard about the new building.

"It's very, very exciting, and I've already had two phone calls from clients asking to be put on the waiting list," she said. "Sharan's very active, and she's done a great job at Gude Drive."

The coalition operates a transitional shelter for homeless men on Gude Drive in Rockville and a total of 195 units throughout the county.

Kirk added that having a location in downtown Bethesda, as opposed to Clarksburg or Germantown, allows the tenants—many who don't own cars—access to the Metro.

London said the site will be staffed 24 hours a day, and tenants will sign a rental agreement like a regular apartment. Each tenant will be referred to the coalition by groups like Bethesda Cares, she said.

The building is located one block from Wisconsin Avenue, and sits in a neighborhood of restaurants, shops, bars and office complexes. Bethesda Cares is a five minute walk from the site and a Catholic Charities office is one block away.

Area shop managers and downtown Bethesda businesses expressed mix emotions about the new project.

Aretha Rodriguez, manager of Guapo's Restaurant a block away from the proposed project, said she doesn't think the tenants will be any problem, and could even bring in a little business.

Ginanne Italiano, president of the Greater Bethesda-Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce, said she wasn't worried about the tenants, just what the coalition paid for the building.

"The concern was on the price that was paid and whether that was competitive in today's market," she said. "This sort of project is needed in urban districts, it's not about that. It's about the price of buildings going down, and what was paid for the building."

The $5.25 million cost was significantly lower than the original $6.5 million asking price, London said. Renovation costs for the site are not yet known.

The coalition purchased the building using a housing initiative fund loan, provided by the county to create affordable housing. The County Council recently approved $57.8 million for the Housing Initiative Fund, as recommended by County Executive Isiah Leggett (D).

County Councilman Roger Berliner (D-Dist. 1) of Potomac, whose district includes the proposed site, had not been briefed on the proposal as of Tuesday morning, but said he thought it was a good idea.

He added, however, that plans like this always bring a certain level of controversy with them.

"There's no question that we need facilities of this nature," he said, "but controversy is to be expected when you seek to find homes for the homeless. That's not to say it's a bad idea, but it's difficult to find a location that does not engender some controversy."