Goodwill Retail Center in The Village to Have ‘Soft Opening’ Saturday

Five months after buying the iconic Clocktower Building at La Mesa Boulevard and Spring Street, Goodwill begins welcoming shoppers this weekend at its newest store.

On Wednesday afternoon, the outlet was visited by board members of the nonprofit group, contractors and some chamber and City Hall officials “just looking,” said Goodwill spokeswoman Sharon Corrigan.

“We are very pleased to finally be open for business, and look forward to our participation in the community of La Mesa for many years to come,” she said Thursday.

“As a result of the limited parking, and occupancy maximums inside the retail facility, we are doing a soft opening with no real advertising or notices.”

The downtown location of Goodwill—bought for a reported $1.8 million from San Diego County Credit Union as a foreclosed property—opens to the public Saturday.

Corrigan said normal hours—after Saturday—will be 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.  

“We offer a discount to students, military and seniors (with valid ID),” said Corrigan, with the Point Loma-based county operation.  “Prices are marked on each item and are not negotiable. We accept cash, checks, debit cards, Visa and Mastercard.”

As reported earlier, Goodwill won’t accept donations at its downtown venue “out of consideration for the other businesses and the community,” she said.

But people can drop off items at the Spring Street, Amaya or 70th Street trolley stations where donation centers are staffed seven days a week, or to one of our other retail or donation locations in East County.

Corrigan added: “We’d like to remind everyone that we have great, unique holiday items and gifts, as well as the elusive little black dress, jewelry, housewares and accessories at most locations, and the selection changes
daily as items sell, new ones are added from incoming donations.”

Goodwill Industries of San Diego County—part of  Goodwill Industries International—takes the revenue from the sale of donated items to create jobs and to fund job training programs.  

“We assist thousands of people to find jobs each year (inside and out of Goodwill), and to develop the skills and the confidence to be successfully employed,” Corrigan said of the group that dates to 1930 in the county.

In July, Goodwill said it would employ as many as 30 people at the 8250 La Mesa Blvd. location.

“We currently have close to 1,000 people on the payroll (full and part time) and are confident that we will be growing even more in the years to come,” Corrigan said.