RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Richmond Animal Care and Control (RACC) is set to undergo a significant expansion after the city council voted 7-2 to approve a $2 million investment in a new shelter. The funds will go toward creating a new adoption center on West Cary Street, just minutes away from the current location. "We are thrilled, just jumping for joy," said Christie Chipps-Peters, RACC's director. The decision was made official on Tuesday, Nov. 12 as the city council passed two ordinances: one allocating the $2 million to RACC from the city’s Department of Public Works’ Commerce Road Improvement Project, and another authorizing the purchase of the new property at 2310 W. Cary Street and 2311 Herbert Hamlet Alley. The new center will help alleviate the pressure on RACC's existing shelter on Chamberlayne Avenue, which has been operating at full capacity. “We have the opportunity to change the lives of so many citizens and their pets," Chipps-Peters said. "I’m so excited to collaborate with the community to figure out how we can best serve them.” The decision to move forward with the expansion came after strong public support. During the city council meeting, 33 people spoke in favor of the project, sharing personal stories of how RACC had impacted their lives and why this new space should go to the shelter. "So the dogs can be seen in the best light and best possibility of who they really are and their true personalities can come out, not the stress dogs that have to watch people go by staring at them," said Jessica Holt, an RACC volunteer and foster. The new adoption center will serve as a dedicated space for the public to meet animals available for adoption, while the original shelter will focus on housing and care, mainly for short-term boarding options. This move is expected to improve the quality of life for both the animals and the families looking to adopt. "We really want to do a short-term boarding options for people who are facing eviction, homelessness, incarceration," Chipps-Peters said. "So they can figure out whatever they need to with their life and then come back and pick them up." The next steps include closing on the new property by the end of this year, with repairs and preparations to follow before move-in. The goal is to have the new shelter open by late summer or early fall of next year.