Guyon Saunders Resource Center to close December 31 and move services to Transformation Park

The Guyon Saunders Resource Center (GSRC), a long-standing provider of day services for Amarillo’s unhoused population, will close its Tyler Street location at the end of 2025. Employees learned earlier this week that the organization’s long-term plans had shifted and that services will move to Transformation Park’s Hub once renovations there are complete.

According to Executive Director Stephen Cross, the center “will cease operations Dec. 31,” marking the end of more than three decades of service at its downtown site.

A Shift Toward Consolidation of Services

For several years, the City of Amarillo, Transformation Park, and GSRC had been planning a new shared facility—the Joe and Laura Street Day Center—currently under construction across from Transformation Park. GSRC had expected to move into the Day Center after completion, ending its lease at 200 S. Tyler St.

But those plans changed. Transformation Park Executive Director Mark Zimmerman said the shift reflects a broader effort to streamline services: instead of operating two organizations with similar missions, there will be “one organization to carry out the mission of serving the homeless.”

This organizational transition means GSRC’s current programs will be absorbed into Transformation Park, with many services moving temporarily to the Hub starting in January 2026.

Background: A Building Sold and a Future Facility in Progress

The GSRC building was sold in November 2023 to Sunn-Miss Limited, a leadership partnership founded by former Amarillo mayor Jerry Hodge. Thanks to a favorable lease agreement, GSRC was able to remain in place while the Day Center project advanced.

Construction on the Day Center—a $10 million project expected to open in early 2027—is well underway. The facility is designed to include a day room, office space, and a kitchen, serving as a shared workspace for city case managers and GSRC-related services.

Cross has said the move into the Transformation Park Hub will help financially, noting the transition is “not going to cost Guyon Saunders anything.” Being closer to Transformation Park’s night shelter is expected to reduce strain across the system and better connect clients to services.

A Mission Hand-Off, Not a Merger

Transformation Park board member Laura Street said the organization’s mission has expanded to include both day and night shelter operations. She emphasized that this is “far beyond just the night shelters and day shelters,” describing it instead as a holistic approach to serving Amarillo’s unhoused population.

Street explained that after the new year, the GSRC board will shrink to three members and serve in an oversight role for up to ten years—until the Harrington Foundation loan related to the Day Center is fully repaid. After that, GSRC will dissolve.

“There’s not a merger that’s happening,” she said. “It’s just one organization transferring the mission to another organization.”

City Agreements and Funding Structure

In May, the Amarillo City Council approved two sublease agreements with GSRC for the Day Center’s future operations. The Harrington Foundation is providing loan funding to help build the facility. Over the next ten years, the City will pay monthly rent to GSRC—more than $34,000 per month—until the loan is retired. At that point, ownership of the Day Center will transfer to the City.

Cross noted that GSRC would have operated from the building “in perpetuity for a low monthly rental rate” had the original plan continued. The updated plan means GSRC’s role will instead phase out over time.

Staffing Changes and Layoffs

While Transformation Park will hire some GSRC staff beginning January 1, 2026, not everyone is being retained. Three GSRC employees were offered positions under the new structure, but three others—including Cross—were not.

The staff learned of the changes on Monday. Cross said his last day will be December 31, sharing that he will miss the employees and community he’s served, adding, “I’m gonna miss them.” Despite uncertainty, he expressed confidence in the staff’s ability to continue the mission under Transformation Park’s leadership.

Operations During the Transition

Transformation Park will continue providing day services at the current Tyler Street location through January while the Hub undergoes final renovations. The Hub, located at 601 Travis St., is connected to Transformation Park by an overpass walkway.

Zimmerman said the Hub—currently an “assembly space” with offices and storage—is being updated with restrooms, a fire barrier, and spaces for meals and activities. It will also house a warming station following Code Blue guidelines, opening during extreme winter weather.

Once renovations are complete, Transformation Park’s feeding program will move into the Hub, eliminating the need for an off-site kitchen.

What Happens to GSRC’s Services?

Street emphasized that all services currently provided by GSRC will transfer to Transformation Park. While she acknowledged that change “creates an amount of anxiety,” she said the organizations have aimed to make the process as seamless as possible.

Zimmerman expects an increase in the number of people served once GSRC operations move to the Hub. Many Transformation Park residents already use GSRC services, though the full impact is unknown due to existing overlap.

A Long Legacy in Amarillo

Founded in 1993 as the Tyler Street Resource Center and renamed in 2009 to honor benefactor Guyon Saunders, GSRC has long provided essential services including mail access, showers, laundry, storage, meals, and case management. Its mission has always included helping the public better understand homelessness and the challenges people face.

As the organization prepares to close its doors and transition its mission, leaders from both GSRC and Transformation Park say their shared goal remains unchanged: offering essential support to Amarillo’s unhoused community in a more coordinated, sustainable way.