Three years ago, Redmond Habitat for Humanity board members looked all over Redmond for an affordable building in which to open a store.

The nonprofit organization wanted to open a ReStore, a recycled building materials store, to serve the community and provide another source of revenue for the group. Habitat for Humanity provides affordable housing for low-income families.

A recent grant awarded by the Meyer Memorial Trust Foundation for $35,520 will help open a 1,500-square-foot Redmond ReStore at 210 SE Railroad Blvd. on March 5.

According to Steve Wilson, president of Redmond’s branch of Habitat for Humanity, the organization saw a need in the community to recycle excess scraps and materials contractors used. The store allows builders and individuals to donate excess materials and provides an outlet for people to buy building materials below retail.

The store is also a source of income for Habitat projects.

After researching and looking at business models of other ReStores in Bend, Sisters, Madras and outside the state, members started stockpiling materials for a Redmond store.

The new ReStore has more than enough materials to stock its shelves and has rented storage space to hold the excess it already has, Wilson said. Donations from local contractors, Home Depot and Sherwin- Williams helped the store get started.

The grant will help pay $4,000 in startup costs and 50 percent of the full-time manager salary of $24,000, Wilson said. The rest of the staff will be volunteers.

Finding an affordable building in Redmond was the tough part, Wilson said.

Habitat members contacted realtors but found prices were too high and that available buildings were quickly leased. After placing an ad in The Bulletin, a realtor contacted the organization about a building in Redmond’s industrial area.

Wilson said the new building has just the right amount of space for a new store. In fact, the store will likely outgrow its current space within a year and move into a larger building, Wilson said. Board members are also optimistic the store will generate enough revenue to be self-supporting within the next five years.

According to Jim Luntzel, president-elect of Redmond Habitat and the organization’s grant writer, the store really isn’t in competition with larger retailers such as Home Depot. He said he likes to think of ReStore as working with the retailers, and some, such as Wal-Mart, have donated overstock or outdated stock. Others have donated gallons of mismatched paint, and contractors have donated a variety of items, including kitchen sinks.Luntzel said he applied for grants from several organizations, but Meyer, which is based in Portland, has a record of supporting Habitat for Humanity affiliates.

Habitat for Humanity builds homes for families who donate labor along with other volunteers, according to the organization’s Web site. The homes are sold to the families at no profit and through interest-free loans.

Redmond Habitat for Humanity needs money to buy land and pay for construction that can’t be completed by volunteers, Luntzel said. The organization also has to pay about $5,000 per house for sewer and electrical system costs.

The Meyer grant will be paid out in two parts, according to Doug Stamm, executive director of the Meyer Memorial Trust.

The first half will cover the ReStore’s initial costs. After the first six months, if the store meets its revenue projections, the remaining portion will be dispersed.

Stamm said the group’s proposal to open a ReStore to help fund affordable housing was important in the selection process. He also visited the store’s site and met with Redmond Habitat board members in early February.

He said the foundation’s trustees were impressed during their visit to Redmon

d by the organization’s volunteer leadership and business plan, Stamm said. They

also recognized the need for affordable housing in Redmond and believed the group could help.

Redmond Habitat’s goal is to build two homes a year. The group has built eight or nine homes since 1992, Luntzel said.