Habitat for Humanity of Southeast Ohio has already raised more than 85% of the $4 million it needs to build a new campus in Zanesville, anchored by a $2 million lead gift and two acres of land the organization has purchased near Putnam and Woodlawn avenues. The planned 17,000-square-foot facility would replace the group's current ReStore and become a regional operations center serving residents across Muskingum County.
The fundraising milestone was detailed by whiznews.com, which reported that the two acres on Putnam Avenue have already been purchased and that the new hub will serve as the new home of the Habitat ReStore. According to the Zanesville Times Recorder, the nonprofit is now in the final phase of its $4 million capital campaign, and Habitat for Humanity of Southeast Ohio Executive Director Ken Oehlers said the organization aims to begin construction in 2027, with community support described as crucial to breaking ground.
Oehlers said the new campus will improve ReStore operations and streamline construction and home repair programs across the county, while also offering dedicated resources meant to empower local residents, per the Times Recorder. The project pairs a working retail and construction hub with an expanded mission around education and homeownership support.
Why the Current ReStore Needs Replacing
The existing Habitat ReStore has operated at 100 Sunrise Center Drive in Zanesville for more than a decade, according to the Times Recorder. Habitat says that location now faces a leaking roof, limited climate control, energy inefficiencies and inadequate storage space, according to the outlet, problems that have factored into the push for a purpose-built replacement.
The new facility is designed to fix those physical shortcomings while also expanding what the ReStore can do. Revenue from ReStore sales helps fund Habitat's operations and the construction of affordable homes across Muskingum County and the rest of Southeast Ohio, the group's report to whiznews.com notes.
What's Planned for the New Hub
Alongside the 17,000-square-foot ReStore building, Habitat plans a separate 3,000-square-foot annex, according to the Times Recorder. That annex is slated to house staff offices, construction equipment storage, community meeting space and a training center modeled after Habitat's facility in Millfield.
The training component is meant to teach practical skills rather than just host meetings. Hands-on classes will cover home maintenance and repair topics including drywall repair, painting and basic upkeep, per the Times Recorder, and are intended to support long-term housing stability and homeownership success. Whiznews.com's report quoted the plan in similar terms, noting the hub will include teaching people how to budget as part of its broader financial literacy and home-maintenance offerings.
A $2 Million Lead Gift and a Neighborhood Plan
The campaign's biggest boost came from the J.W. & M.H. Straker Charitable Foundation, which provided a $2 million lead gift toward the new hub, according to the Times Recorder's report on the community announcement. Susan Holdren, president and executive director of the Straker Foundation, said the investment will enrich the Putnam area and extend home-care and home-repair education throughout Muskingum County, and added that the foundation looks forward to community support for Habitat's vision.
The new campus is tied to a broader, multiyear effort beyond the building itself. Habitat for Humanity of Southeast Ohio has also announced a five- to seven-year revitalization plan for the Putnam Avenue area, according to whiznews.com, which reported that the effort will start with neighborhood meetings. The Times Recorder reported that Habitat intends to work with neighbors, businesses and nonprofit organizations to identify and address community priorities as that initiative moves forward.
A Growing Regional Footprint
Habitat for Humanity of Southeast Ohio is an independently chartered affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International that serves 13 counties, according to habitatseo.org. The organization currently runs three ReStores, in Athens, Zanesville and Lancaster, with the Zanesville store opening in 2015 and the Lancaster location following in 2020, according to the group's ReStore program page.
The Zanesville hub is one of several projects in the works for the affiliate, which has additional homebuilding projects in development, according to whiznews.com's coverage of a family receiving a new Habitat home. Community members, businesses and civic organizations can support the Restore & Revitalize campaign through tax-deductible donations, multiyear pledges or naming opportunities within the planned facility, per the Times Recorder. More information is available at habitatseo.org or through Melissa Best at [email protected] or by phone at 740-249-1449.
