Bi-Mart has started construction of a new department store located behind McDonald’s and the Sweet Home Police Department.
It is the 75th store, said Don Leber, marketing director. “Obviously, we’re building it so it will look like a typical Bi-Mart store from the ground up. We’ve got lots of Bi-Mart members that live in that area.”
They already shop at Lebanon and possibly in Albany, Leber said. “We think that’s a market area we can serve better and do a better job of taking care of their needs.”
Bi-Mart officials are hoping to have the store open sometime in the spring, Leber said, but weather can interfere with construction.
According to plans filed with the city’s building division, the final paving is scheduled for April and May.
Clearing and demolition were scheduled for August, with excavation and grading scheduled for August through October. Sewer and utility construction is scheduled for September through October.
Work on the property started at the end of September, following the removal of the old Oregon Electric Railroad depot.
Bi-Mart planned no activity for November through January, according to documents filed with the city.
According to plans, utility construction and site work will continue again in February and March, with building construction from February to May. Paving is scheduled for April to May.
The property, located north of McDonald’s, 2000 Main St., includes 11.83 acres, with 4.28 acres planned for construction and parking.
The new store will be 32,100 square feet in size, with a second-story mezzanine for offices.
It will be similar to every other Bi-Mart store, stocking some 40,000 items, Leber said.
As part of the project, Bi-Mart will rebuild 22nd Avenue, said Building Official Mike Remesnick. That includes the street, sidewalks, planter strips, a new water line and a new fire hydrant.
Bi-Mart will have an access driveway from 22nd Avenue, with three access points to the McDonald’s parking lot. Bi-Mart will own the driveway entrance off of Main Street to the Sweet Home Police Department, Bi-Mart and McDonald’s, with an access easement.
It also will share a parking lot with the Police Department on city property north of the existing Police Department parking, Remesnick said. Easements will allow Bi-Mart and Police Department traffic to share parking.
This building plan has been constructed some 15 times already, so it made it through the building permit process quickly, Remesnick said.
Bi-Mart is a department store chain. Membership costs $5 for life, and Bi-Mart reports 1.4 million families have memberships.
Bi-Mart opened in 1955 in Yakima, Wash., in the garage of one of the original founders. The second Bi-Mart opened in 1962 in Eugene. Shortly after, Bi-Mart moved its headquarters and distribution center to Eugene.
Today, the chain, owned by employees since 2004, operates 74 stores in Oregon, Washington and Idaho and employs 3,000.