LOWELL - The Dollar General is moving out of Lowell, but not very far.
A new store is under construction just outside the village limits on Ohio 60, next to the Duchess service station. The site is less than a quarter of a mile from the current store at 185 Third St.
An opening date has not been set, but Rebecca Sanders, communications coordinator for Dollar General, said it could be this year. Employees from the existing store will move to the new one, which is expected to have higher visibility.
Article Photos
EVAN BEVINS The Marietta Times
Adams Township resident T.J. Dowler, right, helps his son Kaden try on a hat Wednesday at the Lowell Dollar General while his wife Kimberly, back left, and daughter Ella watch.
"They believe at this point the store may attract more traffic, so they may need to hire more people," Sanders said.
Sanders said traffic patterns are among the factors considered in choosing a location for a store, along with demographic trends and customer needs.
The new store will be only slightly larger than the existing one, but it will have a new layout designed to provide "a simpler shopping experience," Sanders said. This will include seasonal products in the center of the store, coolers by the door and more conveniently located cash registers.
Fact Box
Lowell's Dollar General
- Current location - 185 Third St., 9,000 square feet.
- New location - 10200 State Route 60, 9,026 square feet.
Although the new store will be situated outside the village, Lowell Mayor David Pitzer said he still believes it's a positive development.
"I'm glad that they're providing a newer facility for the residents and people around here to shop at," he said.
The relocation isn't expected to deal a blow to the village's tax base.
"Essentially the property tax won't be affected because they rented the building," Pitzer said.
The identity of the new tenant was not available Wednesday afternoon.
Lowell resident Bob Yoder, 64, said he shops at the Dollar General a couple of times a week and is glad the new site will be nearby.
"It's a handy store," he said. "The closest other store is either Marietta or Beverly. It's in the middle."
The property for the new site was purchased for $130,000, according to Washington County Auditor's records.
The project apparently was delayed somewhat after a lawsuit was filed in Washington County Common Pleas Court in April to block the sale of the land.
The dispute was over whether the plaintiffs, Randy and Keith Wagner, should have been given the opportunity to purchase it first from the owner, the Frank L. and Marjorie L. Stacy revocable trust.
Before a hearing could be held on the matter, it was settled out of court. Details of the settlement were not included in the case file.
