Plans have been submitted for the construction of a new Goodwill Store on U.S. 60 East across from Chapel Hill Church.
The 6.03-acre parcel of land on which the store will be located is at the intersection of Watson Lane and U.S. 60-East and has for years been the object of speculation among residents as a location for a new grocery store. The Seventh Day Adventist Church sits next to the parcel of land to its west.
Currently, the parcel is zoned agricultural. According to a rezoning application submitted to the Henderson City-County Planning Commission, Evansville Goodwill Industries and land owner Sarah Hutcheson Revocable Trust are requesting the land’s zoning be changed to highway commercial, a designation which would be in line with the Henderson City-County Comprehensive Plan.
The project summary found on the application says the proposal is for a “new Goodwill retail facility in Henderson, KY. The development includes a building, driveways, parking lot, and associated utilities. Rezoning is requested to allow commercial use consistent with surrounding development. All design will meet applicable zoning, utility, and site development standards.”
Morgan Lange, the vice president of mission advancement for Evansville Goodwill Industries, told the Hendersonian, though, that a store won’t open on that lot for a few years. She said it’s a “big opportunity for Goodwill to have another store” to support its mission.
Evansville Goodwill Industries oversees 15 store locations in Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois, Lange said.
Findings presented on the application are that rezoning “aligns with the Comprehensive Plan by promoting economic development, efficient infrastructure use, and growth in designated commercial areas. The project will contribute to the local tax base and job creation.”
Lange sent a statement from the company after the brief phone call with the Hendersonian later on Friday afternoon. “Evansville Goodwill is currently under contract and in the due diligence process on a property in Henderson. While it is still early, we are always evaluating opportunities that allow us to better serve communities that so strongly support our mission. Henderson plays an important role in the growing tristate region, and we want to grow alongside it in ways that create jobs and strengthen local communities.
We are proud to operate our Goodwill store at 1300 South Green Street which employs 34 team members and is open Monday through Sunday from 9 AM to 8 PM. The continued generosity of the Henderson community through donations and shopping makes our work possible. Our stores exist to generate revenue that funds mission programs across the tristate area, and any future growth would ultimately be about expanding that impact.”
