Sandpoint thrift closes doors for good
The little store that could, no longer can.
After 20 years of serving Bonner County, the nonprofit Sandpoint Senior Thrift Store has shut its doors for good. It was a decision described as “heartbreaking” by Janet Russell, board president and longtime volunteer.
The building’s new owner, Sandpoint-based Bookpoint LLC, told the board in June that the store’s monthly rent would more than triple, from $800 to $2,700, and that members had five days to sign a long-term lease or vacate by July 15.
“It was a real shock,” said Regina Hammack, treasurer. “We tried to get a little time to work with, and it wasn’t possible.”
Bookpoint’s letter blamed “recent tax assessment hikes, higher than anticipated utility bills and the cost of future improvements” for the rent increase.
The loss of the thrift store will be felt not only by residents who frequented the store for bargains but also by the many community organizations supported by the store. It annually provided about $60,000 to various community groups – not to mention scholarships to needy high school graduates. Some of the organizations assisted in recent years include Kinderhaven, Bonner County Gospel Mission, Bonner County Food Center, Habitat for Humanity, Sandpoint Senior Center, and Bonner Partners in Care Clinic’s diabetes program.
Within just a few days of receiving notice of the rent increase, store members made a speedy decision to vacate the building. Litehouse Dressing donated a large, covered truck to temporarily store all the inventory. Sandpoint residents turned out en masse to help.
“A big thank you goes to John and Sue Elsa,” said Hammack. “They lined up the truck and got the word out to the community that we needed help moving.”
What began as a hopeful search to find a new location quickly turned into frustration. One of the buildings offered to the group needed close to $80,000 in repairs. Another strong prospect was in the process of being sold, and the new owner said he was planning on tearing it down. A third building wasn’t available until next year – possibly not even then. A 50-by-100-foot lot in Ponderay was offered, but the $150,000 price tag didn’t include the cost of a new building, parking lot or other expenses.
The thrift store wasn’t the only business affected by the rent increase. The 3,000-square-foot building was also home to Dave’s Pioneer TV and Dr. Jeanne M. Arnold’s podiatry clinic.
“My rent went from $300 to $1,300,” said David May, owner of Pioneer TV. He presently runs the business out of a renovated space in his Sandpoint home.
“Things are going well,” he said. “The move hasn’t seemed to hurt my business any. I’m about as busy as I can be.”
Arnold was able to remain in Sandpoint as well, having moved her office to a new location in the Lake Plaza Building.
The thrift store was not as lucky. After two months of searching, it proved impossible to find a suitable location.
“They were all too much money,” said Hammack. “Or the wrong location.” So members made a final decision not to reopen and turned their attention to emptying the truck of inventory as quickly as possible.
“We held bag sales for a week,” Hammack said. “The veterans took pickup loads to sell at their huge yard sale. Other items were donated to the Clark Fork Senior Center. We still have tons of clothing racks and hangers that we’d like to donate.”
The closure of the thrift store has not taken the giving spirit out of its former members and volunteers.
“A couple of our ladies went to help at the Sagle thrift store,” said Hammack. “Others have found different ways to assist the community.”
And what about Hammack?
She’s now involved in washing and drying the mountains of coats donated to the annual Coats for Kids campaign. She reminds others of the need to volunteer. “We get in our own little ruts and move along and forget what we need to do. We need to remember what our community does for us.”