What to Know
- The store on S. Glebe Road at Route 50 will close Oct. 27, and the project will break ground this winter.
- The new store is expected to open by the end of 2027, and residents can expect to move into the new affordable homes in 2028.
- It’s being done through a partnership between Goodwill of Greater Washington and Affordable Homes and Communities.
- Goodwill is directing material donations to its other locations in Arlington County and Falls Church.
The D.C. area is leading the way for an innovative community solution to improve the lives of our neighbors. Goodwill of Greater Washington is announcing a massive renovation of its flagship Arlington donation center and store.
The building that’s been there for decades is coming down, and a new partnership will rebuild a new Goodwill store that will also bring more than 120 new affordable homes.
The Goodwill store on S. Glebe Road is always bustling — but now it’s buzzing with news that it will temporarily close later this month. You probably know Goodwill as a place to donate gently used items and do thrift shopping, but those are just means to serve Goodwill’s primary mission.
“Goodwill’s primary mission is workforce development. We try to find jobs and job opportunities and provide job training for people who are faced with barriers to employment. One of the biggest barriers to employment is housing and daycare,” Brendan Hurley with Goodwill of Greater Washington said.
A new partnership will bring all of those solutions together in one place.
“This is the first Goodwill store that will have affordable housing attached to it, in the entire country,” Hurley said.
Goodwill has partnered with Affordable Homes and Communities (AHC) to develop a new Goodwill donation center, store, topped with 128 affordable homes. Most will be two- to three-bedroom units. The community will also have on-site childcare and on-site workforce development.
“This is a project that’s supported roundly by Arlington County, by the community at large,” said Mary Claire Davis of AHC. “And when the community comes together and decides it’s a priority, we can do things like this.”
The current store will close Oct. 27, and the project will break ground this winter. The new store is expected to open by the end of 2027, and residents can expect to move into the new affordable homes in 2028.
“In this time when things are challenging and it feels like we’re divided, it’s really exciting to work together and solve problems,” Davis said.
In the meantime, Goodwill is directing material donations to its other locations in Arlington County and Falls Church.
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