After 21 years, Tampa ReStore location moving

Habitat for Humanity is moving one of its Tampa ReStore locations into a new, larger space.

The nonprofit announced Tuesday that its store at 3738 E. Hillsborough Ave., which opened in 2002, was relocating to 8247 N. Florida Ave. The new store is 46,000 square feet and will open later this year.

ReStore is a thrift store of sorts but one that can carry a large selection of building materials, including doors, windows, cabinets, plumbing supplies, paint, bathroom fixtures, washers and dryers and tile. The stores can also stock appliances, furniture and other household items.

Habitat for Humanity of Hillsborough County says the new facility will more than double its sales floor and that customers “can expect a significant expansion of” available merchandise.

All profits from sales help fund the Habitat’s work in constructing and preserving affordable homes in Hillsborough.

The stores also provide options for independent contractors, subcontractors and handymen who my not be able to afford or source supplies elsewhere.

The other two stores in the county are in Tampa and Brandon.

There are dozens more ReStores in the state, but each store is operated independently by local, regional affiliates of Habitat for Humanity, each set up to accept donations, prepare items for the sales floor and to provide money for the construction of homes.

Each local organization has its ties with local business to source donations. In 2021, CBS Sports donated all the lumber it used to build risers and stages for its Super Bowl LV programing in 2021 to Hillsborough’s ReStores.

Habitat for Humanity’s first ReStore opened in 1991 in Winnipeg.

According to a biography of the stores on Habitat’s website, the store was started by five volunteers who wanted to make sure new and used home and building materials weren’t simply being tossed away. They figured out that by selling those items, they could help fund the construction of homes.

It worked.

Customers began to come “from all over” to find deals on material and in the process raise money.

Today, there are more than 1,000 ReStore locations across six countries. Each, according to the website, “contributing to Habitat’s vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live.” Between 2011 and 2021 the ReStores were able to raise over $1 billion.