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Goodwill to open Capitol Hill store this spring

The former home of Half Price Books is the future home of Goodwill

The former home of Half Price Books is the future home of Goodwill

He's excited

He’s very excited

CHS has learned that the grandaddy of thrift shopping is coming to Capitol Hill. Seattle Goodwill is planning to open a Capitol Hill store in the former home of Half Price Books that has stood vacant since the discount retailer shuttered the location last year.

“We would love to be on Capitol Hill,” a spokesperson for the nonprofit retailer tells CHS about the project. “It really is a neighborhood that appreciates the recycle, repurpose, reuse values.”

Permit paperwork for 115 Belmont Ave E is in its early stages but calls for a “Tenant Improvement of existing retail space including (2) Offices, Retail Storage areas, break room, and Changing rooms.” The architect firm on the project frequently designs new locations for the nonprofit retailer.

The construction work inside the building is expected to stretch into spring . The two-level store will employ about 40 people — and they’re hiring:

Seattle Goodwill is looking for a Store Manager to join our team at our Capitol Hill location!

Job Summary:
Responsible for the daily operations, achieving sales budget, personnel management, financial reporting, rehabilitation functions, and safety regulations directly related to a store.

At 15,000 square feet, the 24th Seattle Goodwill store will be spacious and is planned to offer the usual Goodwill treasure and will also have a donation center.

So is he

So is he

Goodwill Capitol Hill will join a solid thrift and vintage culture on Capitol Hill including a Red Light Vintage store, Crossroads Trading, Take 2,  Le Frock, Pretty Parlor, No Parking, the Lifelong thrift store and more. It will also join the neighborhood in a timely fashion as another grandaddy thrift shop faces an uncertain future here and issues of affordability and places for “regular people” to shop seem under threat. Plans for a seven-story office project on 11th Ave will likely not include a space for the longtime favorite Value Village location that currently calls one of the buildings involved in the redevelopment home. Meanwhile, pop culture is also doing its part to cement thrifting as an integral component of Capitol Hill living.

In 2012, Goodwill broke ground on its new offices and training center at Rainier and Dearborn after a larger plan for a mixed-use redevelopment at the site was mothballed.

In its listing last year, the property Goodwill is signing on for on Capitol Hill and its 50-some surface parking spots were available at $30 per square foot. The marketing materials for the building documented a 55,000+ population living within one mile of the location and the nearly 200,000 living within three miles.

A new tenant will also add to the former Half Price Books building’s colorful history of interesting businesses. Half Price joined the 1926-built building in 2003. For a time, a laser tag arena called the building home. Before that, we’re told, “the downstairs had a variety of rooms from fake dungeon to shower stalls, and was wired with T1, and well, you do the math.”

The Capitol Hill Goodwill is currently planned for a May 2014 opening. No word, yet, on whether what’s his name is available to walk over for the opening ceremony.

You can watch for updates and learn more at seattlegoodwill.org.

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23 Comments
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Jason
Jason
10 years ago

Very glad to see Goodwill coming to the neighborhood.

Dod
Dod
10 years ago

This is great news. Welcome to the neighborhood, Goodwill! It’s a welcome addition and refreshing change from the restaurant/bar trend that’s overtaken the commercial spaces in the ‘hood. I was certain some high end restaurant/club was going to end up in that space.

J.C.
J.C.
10 years ago

I’ll still miss the bookstore, but out of all the possible outcomes, this is probably as good a one as we could get. I was afraid it was going to be a BevMo or just some office space for realtors or something.

Susanna
Susanna
10 years ago

Yesssssssssssssss

Dave
Dave
10 years ago

Don’t forget the Lifelong AIDs Alliance thift store! I only donate my stuff there, the proceeds from sales go directly towards helping members in our community.

Sasha f
Sasha f
10 years ago

They should rename it Good and Will to fit in with the stupid business naming fad on the hill.

harvardave
harvardave
10 years ago
Reply to  Sasha f

What?

iluvcaphill
iluvcaphill
10 years ago

Please do not patronize Goodwill. They horribly exploit the disabled by using loopholes in labor laws and paying them far below minimum wage while their CEO is paid over $1 Million a year. I will never set foot in this store.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-hrabe/goodwill-minimum-wage_b_3246824.html

harvardave
harvardave
10 years ago
Reply to  iluvcaphill

Pick your battles. I’m happy to shop there. The CEO pay is not an issue and your exploitation is my happy opportunity for people who don’t find a lot

iluvcaphill
iluvcaphill
10 years ago
Reply to  harvardave

The CEO pay issue aside, I am not shopping at a place that abuses and exploits disabled people to line the pockets of its executives with millions. Especially when there are so many other options on the hill. Slavery is always a battle I am willing to pick.

Timmy73
Timmy73
10 years ago
Reply to  iluvcaphill

I read the reader comments in the linked article. They are quite enlightening as the article itself only tells half the story.

Jamie
Jamie
10 years ago
Reply to  iluvcaphill

Goodwills are independently run, like franchises. Seattle Goodwill has no control over national headquarters, ceo pay, or what any other Goodwill stores choose to pay their employees. The issue you should be upset about is that current labor laws allow for these differences in pay. Go lobby your senator or volunteer for a campaign to stop it, but stop trying to do damage to a non profit that provides countless benefits to the community.

Plus, as previously stated by Seattle Goodwill, they pay ALL employees at least the minimum wage, regardless of disability.

seattlelite
seattlelite
10 years ago
Reply to  Jamie

as mentioned by Jamie, none of the Seattle Goodwill locations use Section 14 (c) subminimum wage. All of SGW employees are paid more than the minimum wage. The only reason Goodwill International was mentioned in the huffington post is because of the recognizable name that Goodwill has. I use to work at a local company who assisted placing “high” level disable people, and most of them would not be able to get a job without the 14 (c) in place. Although I may not entirely agree with the 14 (c), it can assist some. So there are pro and cons to the 14 (c). If you want the 14 (c) gone, then contact your senator.

Paul on Bellevue
Paul on Bellevue
10 years ago

I’ll go pop some tags there.

Pod
Pod
10 years ago

Just what we need. Another national chain instead of a local mom and pop to kill the soul of Capitol Hill.

I keed, I keed.

Eric Hutcheson
Eric Hutcheson
10 years ago
Reply to  Pod

The soul was not killed by chains. Gap used to be in the Broadway Market….There was Taco Bell and JAck In THe Box on Broadway too the hill had soul then. So blaming “chains” is totally not correct. Try hipsters!

Babyface
Babyface
10 years ago

This is sad…
just watch and see how this corp. works!!
http://www.nbcnews.com/video/rock-center/52280748#52280748

seattlelite
seattlelite
10 years ago
Reply to  Babyface

@babyface. The NBC news store is only focusing on one Goodwill International, not Seattle Goodwill which does not use the 14c submin pay. You only about this because it was on NBC, but you can’t name the many other small companies that uses the 14c here in the Greater Seattle area. A few that already in the Capitol Hill area.

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[…] of recycle, repurpose, reuse, there’s an exciting “save the date” event just added to the CHS […]

RainWorshipper
RainWorshipper
10 years ago

Happy to hear this–a business coming in that’s affordable!

Eric Hutcheson
Eric Hutcheson
10 years ago

All you anti chain people need to get over it. Mom and Pop cannot provide everything for everyone if you want that move to the damn sticks!

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[…] the neighborhood is getting its very own Capitol Hill Goodwill. But there is already plenty of vintage love to go around. Some basic old “cheap stuff” […]