Kaylie McLaughlin  - Overland Park

Thrift store takes over former Westlake Ace store in Overland Park

Hillcrest Thrift plans to move its retail shop from Lenexa to Overland Park next year.

Hillcrest Thrift plans to move its retail shop from Lenexa to Overland Park next year. Photo credit Kaylie McLaughlin

Hillcrest Thrift intends to move its shop from Lenexa to the former Westlake Ace Hardware near College Boulevard and Quivira Road in Overland Park.

The thrift store is part of a charitable organization that supports homeless families with transitional housing in the Kansas City metropolitan area. 

New Overland Park Hillcrest Thrift to open next year

  • The new location, which spans roughly 18,500 square feet at 12202 College Blvd., is set to open in spring 2024, a news release says. 
  • The exact opening date is unclear at this time. 
  • Before opening, Hillcrest plans to add a drop-off lane on the west side of the store, according to city documents.

Hillcrest will maintain a Lenexa presence for now

  • Currently, Hillcrest’s Johnson County thrift store is located in the Quivira Square shopping center at Quivira and 79th Street in Lenexa. 
  • According to the news release, the organization will keep operating the donation center at the Lenexa location “for the foreseeable future.” 
  • Hillcrest will relocate the retail side of things to the new Overland Park location in the College Square shopping center. 
  • Before the move, the Lenexa store will remain open. 
The Westlake Ace Hardware store in Overland Park is closing on Aug. 26.
The Westlake Ace Hardware store at 12202 College Blvd. in Overland Park closed for good on Aug. 26. Photo credit Ben McCarthy.

Ace Hardware previously occupied the space

  • An Ace hardware store had operated out of the space since the late 1980s before closing this past August. 
  • Store manager Erika Tritz, who managed the hardware store, told the Post previously that Westlake Ace Hardware closed because of an issue with leasing. 
  • The College Square shopping center is fully leased out, featuring tenants like Hen House, a sports bar, a spa and a U.S. Army recruiting office. 

Next steps:

  • The Overland Park Planning Commission will hear the preliminary development plan for Hillcrest Thrift during its Monday, Nov. 13, meeting. 
  • Hillcrest Thrift will also have to submit a final development plan for the city to review at a later date. 

Related news: Dunkin’ plans new coffee shop with drive thru in Overland Park

👋 Hi! I'm Kaylie McLaughlin, and I cover Overland Park for the Blue Valley Post.

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A bit about me and my background:

I grew up in Shawnee and graduated from Mill Valley in 2017. I attended Kansas State University, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in journalism in 2021. While there, I worked for the K-State Collegian, serving as the editor-in-chief. As a student, I interned for the Wichita Eagle, the Shawnee Mission Post and KSNT in Topeka. I also contributed to the KLC Journal and the Kansas Reflector. Before joining the Post in 2023 as a full-time reporter, I worked for the Olathe Reporter.