Beds and couches have replaced groceries in a key downtown building in Basalt. The Habitat for Humanity Restore opened its doors last Wednesday in the old Clark’s Market space.
The non profit furniture and donation center has received a positive response from the community, according to managers. The store opened fully stocked with donations from a high end lodge in Beaver Creek. A percentage of sales go to Habitat for Humanity’s home building fund.
The 18,000 square foot space sat empty for months before Habitat moved in. Jeff Sirbu is with the local affiliate.
"We’re the center of town again. There’s a business here. It’s bright, it’s new and there’s a different energy here. We have people thanking us for coming to town," he says.
Before it opened, Habitat worked to improve the 60-year-old building by fixing leaks, mitigating asbestos and installing new lighting and flooring. The organization will operate in the building for at least two years.