The Villages Regional Hospital Auxiliary Foundation’s Ye Olde Thrift Shoppe is planning a major expansion.
The foundation has been an important partner for The Villages Regional Hospital, having raised more than $1 million, enabling the hospital to purchase leading-edge equipment.
A significant source of fundraising for the hospital foundation has been rooted in Ye Old Thrift Shoppe, which began operation in 2008 at 106 W. Lady Lake Blvd. The original home for the thrift shop was a two-story building that had served as the first general store in Lady Lake for nearly 100 years. Ye Old Thrift Shoppe’s main operations consist of selling donated household items, including home decor, books, clothing, shoes, linens, jewelry, furniture and collectibles.
The ranks of its volunteers have grown from 40 to 200 and in 2015, the thrift shoppe expanded from 1,400 square feet to 4,300 square feet.
The thrift shop has been good for the hospital, but it has also been a solid producer for the Town of Lady Lake, ringing up an average of $3,000 per month in sales tax.
Ye Olde Thrift Shoppe will go before the Lady Lake Commission next week, seeking a major expansion of its existing site. The two-story building would be demolished and a 6,015-square-foot building would be erected in its place, connecting to the existing 3,510-square-foot corner building at 110 W. Lady Lake Blvd. The new configuration will include 47 parking spaces. Two historic trees will have to be removed to make way for the project.
A special conceptual presentation of the project will take place at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at Lady Lake Town Hall.
