Habitat for Humanity in Whatcom County plans to open its first Bellingham store in a retail building at 1825 Cornwall Ave., a spot once home to Mayberry Sporting Goods.

John Moon, the nonprofit organization’s executive director, said the new store will allow Habitat for Humanity to have a location closer to its donor and volunteer base.

“We just feel that this is going to be a really good location for us,” Moon said. “We’re really excited to be in Bellingham.”

The new store is expected to open in May, with a grand-opening event planned for Saturday, May 31, Moon said. The location is next door to Woodsmiths Furniture, and across a street intersection from Bellingham High School.

Habitat will continue to operate The Habitat Store at 1385 Admiral Place in Ferndale, Moon said. The Ferndale location opened in September 2009.

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The nonprofit’s stores sell used household items, with furniture being one of the biggest sellers. Proceeds from its retail sales help pay the organization’s overhead costs.

Habitat added a 6,000-square-foot warehouse next door to its Ferndale location in January 2012, in order to sell donated building and home-remodeling supplies.

The Ferndale store is staffed with a mix of paid workers and volunteers, and the Bellingham location will operate in a similar manner, Moon said.

Habitat for Humanity in Whatcom County, which is affiliated with Habitat for Humanity International but operates independently, builds homes for local families in need. Since its founding in 1987, the nonprofit has constructed more than 30 homes in the county, according to its website.

The Cornwall Avenue location housed Mayberry Sporting Goods from February 2011 until May 2013, when the retailer moved to a smaller location at 703 W. Holly St. Mayberry, however, closed for good in January of this year, citing an unrecoverable drop in sales.

Prior to Mayberry, the building was home to a Sunshine Liquidators outlet.

Evan Marczynski, associate editor of The Bellingham Business Journal, can be reached at 360-647-8805, Ext. 5052, or evan@bbjtoday.com.

