Advocates to End Domestic Violence breaks ground on new Carson City Classy Seconds store

UPDATE: A ground-breaking ceremony for the new Classy Seconds Thrift Store was held Thursday at the site located at 3591 Gordon Street in Carson City.

The retail operation of Advocates to End Domestic Violence (AEDV), Classy Seconds will be moving from its current location off Old Hot Springs Road to a brand-new 14,500 square-foot facility at the corner of Highway 50 East and Brown Street by this fall.

"This new location has been a long time coming and we are very excited for the increased visibility and business that should come along with being more conveniently located," AEDV stated in its May newsletter.

Thursday's ground-breaking only initiates the first phase of construction. The new non-profit complex will feature retail and warehousing space, along with administrative office space for AEDV.

There are two phases to the project, contractor Jeff Shaheen of Shaheen Beauchamp Builders said.

"Phase One is the thrift store," he said. "Phase Two would be an administration building for the Advocates To End Domestic Violence offices."

The facility's ground floor features a whopping 11,000 square feet, including 9,000 devoted to the retail store and 2,000 square feet reserved for warehouse operations. Plans also call for a 3,500 square foot mezzanine used for mechanical equipment and storage, Shaheen said.

Finally, existing 3,500 square foot building on the property will also be utilized for the thrift store operations, he said.

Featuring a total of nearly 18,000 square feet of building space at the new location in East Carson City, Classy Seconds will end up nearly doubling the size of its operations.

This is good news for AEDV, a 501(c)3 registered non-profit that has been serving victims of domestic violence in the Carson City area for more than three decades.

"The revenue the thrift shop provides is nearly 50 percent of AEDV operating budget," said AEDV Executive Director Lisa Lee. "The expansion will generate additional revenue, which will allow us to continue to meet and expand services for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault."

The local organization uses the money generated from Classy Seconds to fund its 51-bed shelter, which has served victims of domestic violence since 1985.

In that time, the shelter has provided more than 150,000 nights to nearly 3,700 victims, according to the AEDV web site, and dishing out more than 450,000 meals.

"Classy Seconds revenue is critical to the success of our emergency shelter program as it allows us to purchase needed items/services that aren't grant allowable," AEDV said.

AEDV had long sought to purchase its own property for the retail thrift store rather than lease space, Lee said, but building from scratch wasn't what the organization had in mind.

"Within two years of opening Classy Seconds we began looking for a property we could own," she said. "What we found was that many of the buildings that would have met our needs were not zoned general commercial or were overpriced for the renovations that would be required to bring them up to code. Eventually, we accepted that we would need to build."

After almost two decades of saving a percentage of annual thrift store revenue to purchase property, AEDV finally grabbed its plot of commercial land backing to U.S. Highway 50 East directly across from the Goodwill Store.

The organization also qualified for a loan through Heritage Bank, Lee said, to complete the purchase.

"We wanted to fund this construction without having to ask the city or others for financial help," Lee said. "Developing land with infrastructure and utilities has been expensive, but it will allow us to meet the needs of both customers and clients better in the future."

Shaheen said AEDV will be getting a very nice facility for its investment, featuring thoughtful touches that maximize the use of natural light and attractive design finishes that dress up the store's exterior.

"Along the Highway 50 side of the building, there are large colorful sawtooth screen elements and trellises that are used to break-up the linear wall surface," he said. "There is a clear-story tower filled with glass that will stand above the main roof line. The glass in the tower will allow natural light to filter down into the thrift store. The main entry will have a colorful trellis feature that will cast interesting shadows from the morning sun onto the building and walkways."

The project is also being built to help AEDV save money by providing modern energy efficient insulation, LED lighting and a 90 percent efficient mechanical system, Shaheen said.

Lee said the new retail operation will allow Classy Seconds to expand its "boutique" for higher-end fashion labels and simply more space all around for displays.

The store will also have space for two restrooms, two dressing rooms, and extra storage for holiday items, she said.

"One of the best features of our current store is the ability to drive by and drop off donations with ease," Lee said. "We have kept this feature, which allows donors to pull up and drop off without needing to come into the store."

Lee said that although the current Classy Seconds store has been a good practical space for the past 20 years, it lacks visibility and convenience.

"Our current location has served us well, but it is difficult to find," she said. "The new location will offer more parking, a better floorplan, more space, air conditioning and easier access for customers and sheltered clients."

Classy Seconds was established two decades ago to handle the generous amount of donations from the community, which the AEDV was running out of room to store, Lee said.

"With demand for service, we needed to renovate that building for transitional housing which meant we would either have to find another place to store these items or turn the donations away," she said. "This eventually led us to open the existing shop, which has allowed us the ability to provide clothing, household items, and furniture to clients without charge. The items they don’t need are sold to benefit the shelter and support crisis intervention."

Classy Seconds has since given AEDV more flexibility in its revenue-building activities, which pay for crisis intervention services that aren't always fully funded by state and federal grants.

"AEDV operates the largest domestic violence shelter in Northern Nevada with 51-emergency beds that can offer up to five months of shelter and support services," Lee said. "The majority of our services are supported by state and federal grants, which are not guaranteed and fluctuate with the political climate."

Classy Seconds has also helped AEDV move ever gradually toward its goal of becoming financially independent, she said.

"It is vital that AEDV continues work toward becoming as financially self-reliant as possible," Lee said. "We never want to be in the position of having to reduce services or turn families away because of a lack of funds. Our plan is to increase revenue generated by the thrift shop and in turn be able to expand services for those in need."

For more information on AEDV, visit its web site here or follow it on Facebook here.