It has been a long road for the staff and volunteers of the Upper Perkiomen Community Thrift Store, but the finish line is now in sight. 

        The store is set to open the doors of its new facility at 301 4th Street in Pennsburg Monday.

        "It feels like a store now," said Manager Travis Whitaker of the expansive space.  "The first time I saw the building I did see beyond the offices but when it was all opened up it just felt like a big open space.  Now that there's shelving in here…It's really going to be a store."

        "It's exciting and we're ready to go."

        The Upper Perkiomen Community Council, parent organization of the store, purchased the new 16,000-sq.-ft. facility in early August.  It is the former location of SSI, a fire protection manufacturer, and the Pennsburg Clothing Company.  The new locale more than doubles the sales floor and triples the processing center for donations.

        While the move from Bitting Alley in Red Hill came because the shop lost their lease due to the owner's business expansion, Whitaker said it really was a positive thing.

        "We had it in the backs of our minds that we knew that we needed more space and that's the boost we needed," he said.  He noted that the purchase financially made sense, with mortgage payments only slightly above what the store was paying for renting its former home.

        The day after the real estate transaction, he said renovations to the space began with the demolition of the offices on the first floor.  The lower level was cleaned up and transformed into the new donation center, which will process donations, label and send them up to the sales floor via a freight elevator.

        Other renovations included a new HVAC system, making the space accessible for those with disabilities, electrical work, constructing two public restrooms, cleaning and painting.

        While the hours have been long, you won't hear Whitaker or the approximately 35 volunteers who came out to work on the project complain.  There have been some very generous surprises.

        The first was a whopping $60,000 donation toward the renovations, made by an anonymous donor.  The second was the discovery of lighting fixtures hidden under a drop ceiling on the first floor, saving hundreds, if not thousands of dollars.

        A moving company also donated its services to make the shop's move a smooth one from Red Hill to Pennsburg, and Perkiomen Printing donated approximately 60 feet of shelving.

        Along with the new digs, customers will find a bigger variety of items for sale, including furniture, blankets and quilts.  While they won't accept two things, mattresses and pianos, Whitaker said the facility will continue to take "just about anything."

        Items that don't sell are largely recycled for a small profit, including textiles like clothing and stuffed animals.  Whitaker said denim is recycled for about 40 cents a pound.  It is, interestingly enough, used as the base for a new eco-friendly home insulation.

        Technology is also being upgraded at the store.  Whitaker said the Community Thrift Shop is now utilizing a brand new register/computer system and ticketing system.  Each item will now be stickered with a bar code, making sales and discounts all automatic.

        The real winners, besides its customers who come in to find all kinds of treasures, are the four organizations the store donates to.  Whitaker said the store gives about $25,000 annually to The Open Link, Upper Perkiomen Valley Library, Project Haven, and the Retired Senior Volunteer Persons (RSVP) of Montgomery County. 

        "Come and check us out," he said of the new space.  "This is not your old-time thrift store.  We are stepping up the game and ultimately, by shopping here, you are benefiting the community."

        The Community Thrift Shop will hold a ribbon-cutting and grand opening Oct. 12 at 10 a.m. On Oct. 17, they will host "A Home of Our Own" community pig roast to commemorate the opening with an all-you-can-eat catered dinner, raffles, and entertainment.  For more information, see the shop's Facebook page, or call 215-679-6555.