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BEMIDJI 鈥� Goodwill's downtown Bemidji storefront is preparing to move to a new home after 15 years at the current location.

The thrift store will soon be located at 1788 Paul Bunyan Drive, next to the Simonson Market and Car Wash.

According to Scott Vezina, director of marketing and communications of the regional hub True North Goodwill, the new site is around double the size of the current location.

鈥淲e are looking to move to expand,鈥� Vezina explained. 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to give people a much better experience, a lot more selection of items and let us be able to process more donations from the public."

The new store will feature a donation drive-thru with a canopy, allowing donors to drop off items easily. In addition, the expanded space will accommodate more inventory and a broader selection of items for shoppers.

Goodwill鈥檚 new site will also include a Career Navigation Center, offering resources such as workforce connections, job application assistance and access to computers.

"People are looking for those frontline services, being connected to resources at the workforce, applying for jobs using computers,鈥� Vezina said. 鈥淭hose (resources) will be available on-site as well."

The move is intended to meet the growing needs of the Bemidji community.

鈥淲e鈥檝e had great support there from customers and donors at that current location, and we鈥檙e just kind of outgrowing it,鈥� Vezina said.

The new location also aims to attract more traffic due to its proximity to the highway.

The transition is expected to be completed by mid to late December, although there鈥檚 a possibility the opening could shift to early January.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 want to rush it,鈥� Vezina noted.

Goodwill's mission is rooted in providing employment services and resources to connect people with the workforce. True North Goodwill, based in Duluth, manages 11 stores across northern Minnesota and Wisconsin, with their 12th store opening on Nov. 23 in Virginia, Minn.

For updates on the move and the official grand opening date, follow or visit