JamieLouHello friends!
As you know, Dunia Marketplace has been priced out of our lease and will need to leave our place in Hyde Park by March 31, 2023. Where are we moving to? Well, we don’t know yet.
We asked all of you for advice (thank you for completing our survey), and we are listening. As you have suggested, we are looking for space downtown, on the Bench, in Garden City, and of course in or near Hyde Park. We are combing through commercial real estate websites, walking possible areas, and reaching out to owners of properties that are empty but not listed. We are learning that affordable commercial property is hard to find. (Emphasis on affordable!)
So, we’ve signed up with a commercial real estate agent to help with the search.
We are also talking with Artisans For Hope, another local non-profit, about possibly moving together to a new space. Artisans works with refugees to create and sell textile handicrafts. We already carry many of their beautiful handcrafted items. We are both excited about this possibility!
Meanwhile, our move date is looming. Our last open day at this location is Sunday, March 19. We will have an event at the shop that afternoon and we invite you to join us! More details on this soon.
We haven’t lost hope of finding a new place just yet. As the only fair trade non-profit in Idaho, we know our mission is special. But we are preparing for the possibility of being closed for a short while. Even if we find a new place today, we would need a little time to get that space ready. So, we are looking for pop-up opportunities in the interim and will be adding more to our online shop (We offer free local delivery). We hope the recent coverage by KIVI News, Boise Dev and Hey Boise! will provide a promising new lead.
It’s hard to imagine ourselves in a different place. We have been a part of Hyde Park for 27 years! This sweet old home holds the stories of hope, culture, and creativity of artisans both locally and throughout the world. We are community.
Thank you to everyone who has come into the shop or called to check in on us. The outpouring of support and the sharing of memories have filled our hearts. These touch points remind us that this challenge is simply a new chapter in our own continuing story. We hope to see you on March 19th. Until we know more…
With much gratitude,
JamieLou Delavan, Executive Director