Article published October 24, 2005
Idaho Business Review

By Ken Levy

Old cabinets and fixtures typically go to the dump, contributing to landfill crowding.

But now a Boise nonprofit is diverting functional building materials and accessories from the waste stream and offering them for sale at discounted prices. Proceeds from sales help people in recovery also get a second chance.

Perfectly good new and used or unwanted cabinets, dimensional lumber, appliances, brick, windows, doors and other items are ending up for sale at Second Chance Building Materials Center at 1423 Grove St., Boise.

Second Chance is a fund-raising outlet of the non-profit Supportive Housing and Innovative Partnerships, Inc., whose mission is to find safe, affordable housing for people in recovery from substance abuse, said Melanie Curtis, executive director of SHIP. The reuse store is also designed to take the next step by creating job opportunities and training while "keeping quality building materials out of area landfills."

Curtis said about a quarter of the waste that ends up in the Ada County landfill is construction and demolition materials.

"We intend to decrease the flow and save valuable building materials that still have a useful life and a viable market," she said.

To accomplish this, Second Chance recovers good used materials by "deconstructing" homes slated for remodels or destruction. According to Curtis, deconstruction involves carefully dismantling a building and salvaging materials that can be re-used, such as dimensional lumber, doors, windows, cabinetry and hardwood flooring.

Utilizing donations and a growing consignment service, Second Chance warehouses building materials salvaged primarily from remodeling jobs and demolition in and around Ada County.

Contractors, do-it-yourselfers and remodeling companies can purchase everything from chandeliers to new oak flooring to antique barn wood. New items are priced at about 50 percent of those charged at retail building material centers and, with the exception of consignment items, prices for most used items are negotiable.

Donations come from homeowners, builders, architects, environmentalists "and others concerned with conservation," said Curtis.

Ken Carter, housing and partnership coordinator for SHIP, runs the 9,400-square-foot store at the southeast corner of 15th and Grove streets. The building, leased at a below-market rate from infill developer David Hale, houses SHIP's administrative offices, a showroom and warehouse space.

About 1,000 square feet is devoted to building-materials space for Habitat for Humanity. The store opened in early May and celebrated its grand opening Sept. 30.

Besides Carter and Curtis, the store employs a part-time donation coordinator, a weekend clerk and two Boise State University students on work-study programs. Seed money for the store was provided by a $25,000 grant from the Washington-based, private-family Edwards Mother Earth Foundation and grants from US Bank and the Gannett Foundation.

Curtis said a pending grant from the U.S. Dept. of Labor for $660,000 a year over four years would help SHIP fund jobs, bring on professional staff and create an alternative-energy installation component to Second Chance, while expanding the nonprofit's capabilities to help fund recovery and treatment programs.

"The impacts of providing employment and training are just as important as the benefits of reducing solid waste to the landfill," said Johanna Bell, team leader of the Edwards Mother Earth Foundation's sustainable construction practices committee. "We all have an economic and quality of life interest in keeping the community clean and sustainable."

SHIP has applied for a $40,000 grant from the foundation this year and should know the outcome by November, Bell said.

While much of the material gleaned by Second chance comes from donations, another key to Second Chance's success is working in deconstruction to salvage good used materials.

Remodeling projects offer ideal opportunities to glean everything from bathroom fixtures to dishwashers. Scant availability of bare land in established areas such as the North End and the Bench provides impetus for the Treasure Valley's growing infill development market, Curtis said, providing more opportunities for deconstruction.

"Property values have soared in those popular areas and many owners are remodeling rather than moving to new developments," said Curtis. The Treasure Valley has "higher income and education levels that can help sustain a reuse operation." She cited research by the Idaho Remodelers Association that more than half of the houses in Ada County are at least 25 years old, which makes them prime candidates for remodeling.

Another growing facet of the business is consignment sales of materials. Customers who contribute $1,000 annually, tax deductible, for a charter membership, are entitled to free deconstruction service, 20 percent discounts at the store, consignment sales of non-donated materials with a 70-30 split, documentation for LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification projects and other benefits.

All other membership levels split consignment sales 65-35 percent. These include organizational memberships, at $100, and sweat-equity memberships, where members provide four hours a month of work that benefits SHIP. Non-member consignments split the purchase price evenly with Second Chance.

"Similar operations are experiencing great success in Spokane, Seattle and Portland," she said, "and we sensed that Boise was ripe for such an operation. We see our demand growing as word of mouth about the store increases. Our sales have increased steadily."

Dianne Hunt of Syringa Property Management is president of the board, and Second chance is seeking new board members "with an interest in recycling, and helping people in recovery," she said.