PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Goodwill Industries of the Berkshires and Southern Vermont recently leased 19,471 square feet of retail space in the Allendale Shopping Center.

 

The store plans to relocate its Dalton Avenue thrift store and donation center later this spring. 

 

"This is a game changer and a testament to the greatness and dedication of the entire Goodwill family," David K. Twiggs Jr., president and CEO of the Pittsfield-based nonprofit said. "It's another building block in our organization's foundation. Thanks go to our Board of Directors for making this vision a reality." 

 

The site is located in the building that formerly housed Big Lots, which was relocated to the Dalton Avenue Plaza Shopping Center in November to accommodate an expanded line of merchandise.

 

"We, at Goodwill, are very excited about the relocation of our Pittsfield store to Allendale," said Miriam Maduro, president of the board. "Profits from our retail operations are used to fund our mission of assisting people overcome barriers to employment. The increased visibility and larger footprint will enable us to help more people. Goodwill has been a part of this community for over 65 years and we welcome the opportunity to be able to continue to help our neighbors."

 

Goodwill's current Pittsfield store, located at 457 Dalton Ave., opened in 2013 and encompasses 8,150 square feet. In the new location, which will more than double the store's footprint, Goodwill will be able to increase the amount of merchandise and services offered and plans to add more employees, including supported employees.

 

"I'm excited to welcome Goodwill to Allendale, which has always been a very convenient and family-friendly shopping center," Glenn Langenback, property director of the Allendale Shopping Center said. "Goodwill has secured a great position in the center, with a bus stop just outside. As a testament, there have essentially only been three stores occupying that space since the shopping center opened in 1955."

 

"I've been involved with this property for 42 years, and John, my dad, has been dedicated to the meticulous maintenance of the center for the past 49 years. Together we have experienced a lot of changes to the shopping center, both physical changes to the buildings as well as the tenant mix, as landlords and retailers have innovated through decades of market shifts. Goodwill's new space will offer shoppers a larger store to find their treasures and a more convenient location for the community to donate," Langenback said.

 

According to Senior Project Manager Maryam Kamangar, who is Goodwill's senior director of supply chain management and territory expansion the bigger space will allow more room for more production and storage, a larger retail store and backroom,  a larger donation center and a more convenient donating process. 

 

"The new store will feature customer-friendly experiences that will appeal to a wide range of shoppers," she said. "Our incredible retail team will be busy getting it ready for the grand opening and we're ready to fill up the vast space with lots of great merchandise."

 

A grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for the late spring.