Jonesboro, AR – JonesboroRightNow.com – Abilities Unlimited has put its downtown Jonesboro thrift store up for sale, a move the nonprofit’s leadership said is part of a consolidation effort that will streamline operations.
“For sale” signs went up at Abilities Unlimited thrift store this week, located at 311 Union St.
Darren May, CEO of Abilities Unlimited, said the organization had been looking to consolidate its stores for about a year. In addition to the thrift store, the nonprofit operates a furniture store, Abilities Unlimited Too, on 1334 W. Monroe Ave., and The Unlimited, a high-end boutique on 410 W. Huntington Ave.
May said all three of these stores will be consolidated into a 30,000-square-foot building located at 806 Burke Ave, which Abilities Unlimited used as a recycling center. He added that the hope is to have all retail operations moved to this new facility by May 1.
“We looked at different properties all over town, and when we were looking, it dawned on us that we no longer did recycling for the city, and we had a 30,000 square foot building down here on Burke Avenue that we really needed to find a use for,” May explained.
| ADD US ON GOOGLE NEWS: Click here to see more local news from Jonesboro Right Now
“There was so much renewal going on down on here on Burke Avenue,” May continued. “We have taken the old recycling center at 806 Burke Ave., and the only thing that remains of it is the concrete and the steel frame. We have completely redone the outside and completely redone the inside.”
He said next steps for this new facility will include linking its sprinkler system to the water main and obtaining a certificate of occupancy from the city.
May said 15,000 square feet of the building will be used as retail space, selling the thrift’s clothing, furniture, toys, and more. The boutique will have its own space at the Burke Avenue location, complete with its own entrance. The remaining 15,000 square feet will be used to house offices and provide shredding and recycling services. Donation collection will also be moved to the Burke location.
Founded in 1963, Abilities Unlimited is a nonprofit organization that serves and supports people with disabilities. It provides residential services, as well as job opportunities through its retail store and recycling services
This consolidation will not affect employees, May said. He added that it will make supervising employees easier, since everyone is in one spot.
“No one will lose their job when we consolidate and move down here,” he said. “Our employees, they were the first to know when we started [looking to consolidate], and we’ve made sure they understand, ‘There’s a place for everyone here.'”
As for the other buildings Abilities Unlimited owns, May said the boutique on Huntington Avenue had already been sold. He added that the nonprofit had accepted an offer on the building and was working on a closing.
Abilities Unlimited will hang on to the furniture store on Monroe Avenue for a while longer, he said. The building may be remodeled into a residential setting for those the nonprofit serves, or it would be sold. He said the nonprofit had not yet decided what to do with the store but would likely make a final determination by July 1.
The thrift store’s asking price is around $1.2 million. Coldwell Banker Commercial is the broker for the sale. Kevin Kercheval, principal broker with the firm, said it was currently working on the marketing for the sale and sending it to buyers who may be interested.
“We’d love to find a great end user that would continue to enhance the downtown area. Whether that is an institutional buyer or a retail buyer, there are so many uses that property would accommodate, and we do expect to have a lot of activity on that building,” Kercheval said.
May said Abilities Unlimited was excited for the move and the new space.
“Our staff is excited. They’re proud of the space that’s been developed down here,” he said. “This area of town has really undergone a renewal, and we’re just glad to be part of it.”
| DAILY BRIEF: Sign up for the Jonesboro Right Now Daily Brief Newsletter