By Mark Price, Charlotte Observer

The plugs will be pulled this week at Simpson's Lighting, but the closing of the South End store will be a financial bright spot for Habitat for Humanity.

Ownder Vernon Simpson is giving all his unsold stock to Habitat's ReStore program, rather than deal with a liquidator. The city's two ReStores, which are open to the public, will sell the merchandise to pay for construction of affordable housing in Charlotte.

"I'm amazed at how much stuff is still in the store," said Tim Murphy, donations manager for the ReStores. "We're talking hundreds of brand new light fixtures, ceiling fans, paintings, some furniture. We've already gotten six box trucks full of stuff and we've not put a dent in it."

It's not cheap stuff, either. Price tags show many of lights to be in the $400 plus range, including oversized chandeliers that would fit only Charlotte's biggest mansions.

Murphy doesn't have a total for the donations, but he counted nearly 600 fixtures dangling from the ceiling in one of the show rooms.

A businessman to the end, Simpson intends to leave his front door open to customers, while Habitat volunteers haul stuff out the back. Habitat hopes to have the bulk out this weekend.

Simpson started the week facing a Tuesday midnight deadline to vacate the property, but negotiated a one-week extension with the new property owner, Harris Development Group.

The rambling brick South Boulevard store - with its familiar brown rooftop billboard - is among the oldest surviving businesses in South End, having relocated 35 years ago. It opened in the late '60s on West Boulevard.

"I didn't exactly decide to go out of business," says Simpson, 81. "I've been offered a lot of money for this property for a long, long time and I didn't care to sell. I wanted to stay in business, but Harris made me an offer I couldn't refuse."

He won't say how much. However, SImpson sold just over 3 acres of prime land in one of the hottest parts of Charlotte. The developer announced a $200 million project with an apartment building, office tower, and hotel. Calls for an update from Harris Development were not returned.

Simpson's donation comes at a time when Habitat for Humanity here has been forced to cut its building program from 70 houses to 50 due to lack of money. Sales from the ReStores paid for construction of nearly 10 homes last year.

Murphy says the stores have had strong sales in 2009 because the economy has closed more businesses and "we got a lot of good stuff."

Add this gift from Simpson to the list: a chandelier the size of a moose head - crystal antlers included.