A 24-hour homeless shelter opens Monday morning in downtown St. Louis, with one substantial asterisk: it will not operate around the clock right away.

Instead, it will be a "progressive roll out," as Human Services Director Eddie Roth calls it.

The center, commonly called Biddle House, on north Tucker Boulevard, will begin by offering services for 30 to 50 men who have been spending their day at Compton Hill Missionary Baptist Church, which was a stop gap measure the city put in place when its contract at Centenary United Methodist Church expired June 30.

Roth said the city will continue to operate its overnight shelter at the 12th and Park Recreation Center, providing free transportation to and from Biddle.

Once fully operational — sometime later this month — Biddle House will provide services for up to 125 people during the day and shelter for up to 98 men overnight.

"The progressive opening will allow staff to be hired and trained; operators to gain a sense of the building operations, layout and systems; and make any necessary adjustments to allow for the most efficient and effective service delivery," Roth said.