This photo shows the site of Dollar General, which will open next year. The intersection pictured is Highway 81 and the North County Road. The photo was taken looking to the southwest; Fensel’s is out of frame but is located kitty-corner from the Dollar General site. PHOTO BY Jeremy Waltner • Dr. Lonnie Waltner, Pilot
Prep work for the construction of Dollar General, which is scheduled to open on the northeast edge of Freeman next year, continues this week as workers begin pouring the pavement that will make up the store’s parking lot.
Doug Goodale, director of commercial services at Hegg Companies, said Monday the parking lot will be located to both the north and east of Dollar General; the store will face east but the entrance will be from the north.
Hegg Companies is the owner and developer of the Freeman store.
The steel-framed, tin exterior building has yet to arrive, but Goodale expects it will be here in the next couple of weeks. “Once it gets here, the frame will go up real quick,” he said.
While the weather will ultimately determine how quickly construction moves, workers hope to erect the walls prior to the first big snowfall, which would allow the construction crew to spend the next two months inside preparing the building for occupancy.
Goodale says work is right on schedule and expects the 9,140 square-foot building will be ready for occupancy by late winter.
Those driving by the location in recent weeks – it’s southwest of the Highway 81, North County Road intersection – have likely noticed there has been activity.
Starting Oct. 30, Knodel Contractors began site prep work, which included stripping the top soil, surveying and measuring the land and filling it with 250 semi loads of a sand/clay mixture.
Kelly Knodel of Knodel Contractors said the footings have also been excavated and filled; he completed his work Nov. 3.
Water and sewer lines have been installed.
Dollar General is a general merchandise chain that typically opens in communities too small to attract stores like Wal-Mart.
The City of Freeman approved the final plat for the building in September, and agreed to provide sewer service to the site, which is in city limits.
Water will be provided by B-Y Water.