Salvation Army’s Utica Thrift Store To Close

The Salvation Army Thrift Store on Lafayette Street, which is in the footprint of the new Downtown Utica hospital, will be closing its doors on June 15th.

Major Robert Miga says the Salvation Army has signed a purchase agreement with Mohawk Valley Health System for the property.

MIga would not disclose the purchase price but called it "fair and generous."

Miga says they're still looking for a new location in the Utica area.  He says they've been searching for two year, but have yet to find a suitable location.

The Utica thrift store has 15 employees and Miga says those employees would have the chance to move to another location if there are any openings.

The Salvation Army also has thrift stores in Ilion and Rome.

Miga says the closing of the Utica Thrift Store will not affect other Salvation Army operations in Utica.

Meanwhile, the Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties says it's working with the Salvation Army, as it has with other non-profit partners in the hospital project footprint, to help find a suitable site for relocation.