Architectural salvage store Second Chance is expanding its footprint in South Baltimore, and its founder aims to take its model — a blend of building deconstruction and workforce development — to Philadelphia and other cities in the coming years.

Founder Mark Foster says Second Chance’s existing warehouse at 1700 Ridgely St. is “packed to the rafters” with materials that have been stripped from homes across the region. The 200,000-square-foot retail center, marked with bold, orange lettering, is a noticeable presence at the northern end of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway.

Earlier this spring, the nonprofit quietly acquired about five acres of land a few blocks from its showroom and warehouse with the intention of opening a second store.

Property records show that Second Chance paid $3.86 million for a building at 1025 W. Ostend St. and $640,000 for a lot at 1300 W. Hamburg St.

The new properties will give Second Chance more parking and a better ability to display some of its outdoor products, Foster said.

Earlier this year, Second Chance sold about six acres of its land for $15.5 million. Foster said at the time that the revenue would help springboard the organization into expansion.

Foster, who also is the nonprofit’s president, said he is pursuing funding to replicate Second Chance’s model in Philadelphia. He aims to have a presence there by 2026. Down the line, he wants to see the nonprofit operating in cities such as Detroit, Boston and Chicago.

Second Chance, founded in Baltimore in 2001, has become a popular destination for treasure hunters and home renovators. The workforce program was created “to address the pressing needs of Baltimore City residents who were facing multiple challenges to employment, good wages, and progressive skills,” its website says.

Foster said the organization has seen a spike in business since the COVID-19 pandemic, which prompted many people to pick up home improvement projects while working remotely.

“We were an essential service,” Foster said.

The timeline for opening the new store in is “a moving target,” he said, but he is aiming for spring.

“We want to do it right and make sure we’re keeping the eye on the ball,” he said.