Add one more store to the growing list of construction projects this year in North Battleford.
Home Hardware Building Centre has announced it is renovating its current store so the store will be roughly twice the size it is now.
A new section will be added to the north of the existing building, and there will also be a new entrance added coming from Pioneer Avenue.
To accommodate that growth, all departments in the store are to increase in size with expanded product lines and product selection. They should see a grand opening by the fall of 2015.
The plan is for Home Hardware to continue to operate as usual in the meantime. Staff and management are thanking customers in advance for any inconvenience while the renovation is underway.
Customers will notice the new structure being added to the north end of the existing building. The plan is for more parking to be added as well.
Once the renovation is complete, store manager Larry Dunn said "it's going to give us a broader range of selection" for a one-stop shopping experience.
As well, Home Hardware Building Centre plans to add to the 62 staff and additional sub trades working there now. Dunn said the employees are really looking forward to the new and improved look the newly-expanded store will offer.
Dunn describes Home Hardware's expansion as an expression of confidence in the city.
"We have faith in North Battleford growing over the next years here," said Dunn, "so what we want to do is have a store that can accommodate the potential growth."
City officials see the expansion at Home Hardware as more good building news. At Monday's municipal services committee meeting at City Hall, Building Inspector Jerry Wintonyk provided some details on the project.
"It's going to add a huge addition to that retailer, about 25,000 square feet of retail space," said Wintonyk.
More details on that building plan will be coming forward in the next little while, he added.
City council members greeted the news with enthusiasm. "That's a huge, huge addition," said Councillor Greg Lightfoot, who called it "really good to see."
Lightfoot added that he's had comments from people about the growth and construction going on.
Building permit numbers presented by Wintonyk continued to show a trend towards an early and dramatic spike in building permits this year.
So far, 13 building permits have been issued through February for a total permit value of $14,390,700, compared to nine for $5,900,000 last year. For February alone, six permits were issued for $6,712,000, up from five for $5,146,000 for the same month in 2013.
Permits for 2014 include three in the "new commercial" category: the new Northwest Community Futures office building; a new Co-op gas bar and convenience store; and a new north-end car wash. Also going ahead is an expansion to Walmart that is counted under "commercial alterations."
Construction of the new Co-op gas bar has begun as has construction of the Northwest Community Futures building going up near Frontier Mall.
The Home Hardware expansion will add to the total. Mayor Ian Hamilton said that expansion demonstrates "an awful lot of confidence in our economy and in our future as a city."
