St. Vincent to move thrift store to make way for apartments.

Byline: RETAIL NOTEBOOK By Joe Mosley The Register-Guard

SPRINGFIELD - The St. Vincent de Paul Society doesn't have much of a toehold on the east side of the Willamette River, but Executive Director Terry McDonald expects to do something about that in 2006.

The nonprofit agency is moving forward with plans to raze its store at Main and Fifth streets and replace it with a $6.7 million, five-story apartment building. And St. Vincent's expects to submit a proposal to the Springfield planning department this week for a new, 20,000-square-foot thrift store at 46th and Main streets that would cost another $1.8 million.

"Now that we're going to be dropping the old store and making room for something else, it will be good to have a retail presence over there," McDonald says. "We're looking forward to having a much larger retail presence in Springfield."

The thrift store - to be built on two lots currently zoned for single-family residential use - should be completed next summer.

Construction is expected to begin in January if there are no delays in the planning process, McDonald says.

The new store would offer shoppers a larger book department than St. Vincent's current Springfield outlet, along with more space for antique furniture the agency is importing from England and a larger selection of appliances.

"It will be three times the size (of the existing shop)," McDonald says. "We've been needing more space in Springfield for years, so we're delighted to have the opportunity."

The new store would employ 10 to 15 people, compared with six at the agency's current location.

Demolition of the existing store at 501 Main St. would begin in May, with construction of the Royal Building apartments to begin as soon as the site is ready.

The new building would have 4,400 square feet of retail space available for lease on its ground floor, with a total of 33 apartments on the other floors.

The building would be built with numerous energy-efficient features, including a "green roof," McDonald says.

"It should be a very pretty building," he says. "We're trying to make a signature building out of it - and likewise, the store on 46th Street."

The two Springfield projects would be financed with a combination of grant money, tax credits and St. Vincent's own money.

The nonprofit charity has been a prominent player in Eugene development circles in recent years, with projects including construction of the Aurora Building apartments at 11th Avenue and Oak Street.

Aurora - a five-story project like Springfield's Royal Building - was completed in 2003 at a cost of $8.4 million. It features a ground floor with 7,000 square feet of retail space and 54 apartments on the floors above.

In all, St. Vincent owns more than 500 local affordable housing units, along with several thrift stores.

It also operates programs ranging from day shelters for the homeless to a mattress factory and a glass foundry.

Retail Notebook runs on Thursdays. Joe Mosley can be reached at 338-2384 or [e-mail].