Family Video closed its purchase Wednesday of the Salvation Army Thrift Store building south of downtown Lawrence.

The acquisition of the buiding at 1818 Mass. means the Glenview, Ill.-based entertainment chain should be able to open its 450th store in November, said Roger Rubright, regional manager. Remodeling is scheduled to begin by mid-August.

The entire project should cost nearly $1 million, Rubright said.

“We’re just excited about being part of the Lawrence community and the Lawrence market,” said Rubright, a Lawrence resident. “We’ve always wanted to be here. It’s an important part of our expansion.”

The 14,000-square-foot thrift store closed Tuesday, and workers were loading up clothes, other items and fixtures Wednesday afternoon for delivery to other stores. The Salvation Army Rehabilitation center in Kansas City, Mo., had operated the Lawrence store and continues to run 13 others in the Kansas City area, Topeka and elsewhere in Kansas to finance the center’s operations.

• 6News video: Thrift store shifts to video

“At this point, we have not found a suitable replacement location in Lawrence,” said Gary Lingenfelter, director of operations. “We’ve been looking for a long time : but the bottom line is it’s not easy finding a place in Lawrence that’s suitable and affordable.”

The Salvation Army intends to continue accepting donations of clothes, furnishings and other items at a trailer parked northwest of 19th Street and Haskell Avenue, he said.

The site – along Haskell, between Lynn and Homewood streets – is where the local Salvation Army is working to build a new $3.5 million center, which would include a homeless shelter, gymnasium, chapel, food bank area and office space for social service workers. It would replace the organization’s existing downtown center northeast of 10th and New Hampshire streets.