Store manager Steve Gingras and Mayor Daniel Bianchi cut the ribbon on the new store.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Habitat for Humanity has tripled retail space for its ReStore.

 

ReStore accepts and resells home improvement items such as furniture, cabinets and other material. The sales support the construction of new homes through Habitat's program.

 

Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity first opened the ReStore on Jefferson Place — off West Housatonic Street — five years ago and has outgrown the space.

 

"We had almost as much in storage as we did on the sales floor," Executive Director Carolyn Valli said.

 

On Saturday, the organization cut the ribbon (caution tape) on a new 17,500-square-foot store on Hubbard Avenue.

 

The new space is nearly triple that of the previous location and the organization hopes to double the amount of sales with the more visible and larger space.

 

"It's been a dream of ours to get to a facility as big as this and as beautiful as this," said store manager Steve Gingras.

 

Gingras was joined by Mayor Daniel Bianchi to cut the ribbon, welcoming more than a dozen shoppers to the new store. The mayor spoke highly of Habitat for Humanity's work in not only recycling items that would otherwise go to landfills but in the work of building homes for families in need. 

 

"Habitat for Humanity is such a wonderful organization," Bianchi said, encouraging residents to shop at the store to increase the number of homes the organization can build.

 

Valli said the store previously made enough to build one house per year. She hopes to double that income, especially with a large six-unit project ahead of the them.

 

"Our hope is that we will double our net," Valli said. 

 

The store first opened in a 6,000-square-foot facility with a donation from the Berkshire Bank Foundation and an all-volunteer effort. The operation now supports 2.5 full-time jobs and still has some 30 volunteers.

 

Hours are Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 9 to 5; donations can be dropped off on Wednesdays from 9 to 1.

 

So far, the store has prevented 700 ton of materials from going to landfills, Valli said, and has made more than a $1 million in sales. The donated items come from contractors, new homebuyers, and renovation projects in which the old items are repurposed and resold. 

 

The organization began looking for a new space almost two years ago. It took a year to find the new space and then almost eight months to negotiate a lease. In the last six weeks, the organization has built out the inside of the 399 Hubbard Ave. location with shelving and stocking. 

 

"This has been a long time coming," board Chairman Chris Moon said. "We were at the old store for five years and we hope to be here for another 25 years."