A ribbon cutting ceremony scheduled for Saturday at ReStore, located at the former Circuit City off Grape Street, included Whitehall Township Mayor Edward D. Hozza Jr. The Board of Commissioners were also invited to the 9:30 a.m ceremony.

The township has issued a certificate of occupancy. The opening was to take place earlier but a loss of power to the building caused a delay.

ReStore, a Habitat for Humanity operation, is occupying 14,000 square feet of retail space. The store is marked by its large, bright cherry red exterior over the front entrance, a previous Circuit City feature. The structure had been vacant since 1998 when the electronics store went out of business.

There had been speculation previously that the Whitehall Township Police Department would relocate to a portion of the building, but it never materialized.

Hibachi Grill & Restaurant is preparing for its opening shortly, also at the Circuit City site. A third retail store, yet unannounced, is expected to occupy the remaining space within the structure.

ReStore will feature high quality gently used home improvement items, from furniture to appliances. Windows, building materials, used books and home accessories will sell for a fraction of the price at most retailers. The store will not have any clothing in its inventory for sale.

The inventory will be continually changing as donations are accepted and stocked on the showroom floor.

Proceeds from the store benefits Habitat for Humanity of the Lehigh Valley so it can continue to help build and renovate homes for low-income families in the region. The store will be staffed mostly by volunteers. Janet Kolepp has been named as the store's manager.

Store hours will be 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

A total of 17 ReStores are located in Pennsylvania and 800 across the United States.