A homeless shelter funded in part by private sector donations opened Monday as part of a summer push to remake Portland’s shelter system.

The Harbor of Hope River District Navigation Center was the brainchild of developer Homer Williams. He raised about $3 million from Columbia Sportswear CEO Tim Boyle and other private donations to cover the $3.5 million construction costs for the giant tent-like structure.

“We have in our city a humanitarian crisis,” Williams said at the unveiling. “Today, this is a step on a very, very long journey.”

The shelter can serve up to 100 people at a time and will be open all hours, all days. Nonprofit Transition Projects will operate the shelter. People interested in staying there must make reservations through Transition Projects.

Several officials praised the shelter as an example of a successful public-private partnership, with Mayor Ted Wheeler calling it “one of the most ambitious” to date to combat the growing homeless population.

However, it wasn’t originally envisioned to be a partnership.

Williams, and his nonprofit Harbor of Hope, initially promised that the shelter and its services would be entirely paid by the private sector.

Harbor of Hope broke ground last April on land donated by Portland’s urban renewal agency, which will retain ownership of the land. The city waived permit fees.

By the time Williams raised the $3.5 million estimated to complete the project, the cost had doubled.

The Joint Office of Homeless Services, which is funded by both the city and county, agreed to contribute the first year’s operating budget, which will pay for staff, programming and day-to-day needs at the shelter. Officials estimate that to cost at least $1 million.

The “navigation center” model is an adaptation of what San Francisco and other cities have done. It combines traditional shelter space with intensive help from service providers to help the people who stay at the shelter get into permanent housing as quickly as possible. It also has laundry facilities, showers and other amenities.

By the time it opened Monday, the idea is less novel than when proposed. This summer, the Joint Office unveiled the Laurelwood Center, which will house up to 120 women and couples, as well as provide on-site social services.

Officials noted Monday that the new openings and restructuring of the shelter system is intended to bring more spaces in line with that model.

Earlier this summer, Lilac Meadows, a 40-room family shelter on Southeast Powell Boulevard, opened in a former motel. Twenty-six more family shelter beds will open later this year in a Portland Homeless Family Solutions-run shelter in Lents.

-- Molly Harbarger

mharbarger@oregonian.com | 503-294-5923 | @MollyHarbarger

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