Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity officials announced Thursday plans to close and sell the group's ReStore location on Third Street.

The nonprofit plans to purchase its Monkey Junction ReStore location, which it currently leases at 6138 Carolina Beach Road. Cape Fear Habitat President and CEO Marlowe Foster said in a news release that the move would help “strengthen” ReStore operations in the area.

“This consolidation will strengthen our ReStore operations and allow us to invest more dollars into our core mission,” Foster wrote in the release. “Cape Fear Habitat is grateful to its committed ReStore customers, and we want them to understand this is not a retreat from downtown. We are already looking at ways to continue to serve customers in the downtown market with other innovative and creative retail options.”

Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity was founded in 1987 as an independent affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International. The nonprofit serves more than 400 families in Pender, Duplin and New Hanover counties and operates a Critical Home Repair Program that helps preserve the value of owner-occupied homes.

ReStore locations sell new and gently used household goods, furniture and remodeling supplies to help offset administrative costs for the organization, according to Thursday’s release.

The closure of the store won’t result in job losses or pay reduction for Habitat employees, the release stated. The store at 1208 S. Third St. will be open and continue to operate until the property is sold. 

Habitat plans to sell both the Third Street store and an adjacent property at 1211 S. Second St. The nonprofit is “currently in negotiations” on selling those properties and purchasing the Monkey Junction building.

“More definitive timelines will be available in the near future,” the release stated.

Property records show that Habitat purchased the 0.7-acre tract at 1208 S. Third St. in 1999 for $375,000 and bought the land at 1211 S. Second St. in 2003 for $55,000. 

Once sold, products from the downtown store will be distributed to Habitat’s other two ReStore locations at 7330 Market St. in Ogden and the Monkey Junction store.