As Buck's Grocery approaches its 70th year as a Hot Springs institution, owners of the fourth-generation family business are crediting the community with making a 1,600-square-foot expansion project possible.

Work is underway on an addition to the Main Street store, which is currently bursting at the seams, according to father and son co-owners Mike and Scott Wigton. The new structure, which is sandwiched between the current Buck's Grocery location and Fergie's Pub, is being constructed under the direction of Bill Massey of Hot Springs' Massey Construction.

A local crew of between three and four workers began the project a month ago, and the structure's skeleton was nearly in place as of Thursday. Mike Wigton said a grand opening celebration is planned when the expansion is complete.

Scott Wigton said the new space means every department in the store will be expanded, and "substantial freezer space" will run along the building's perimeter. Buck's Grocery will be able to offer more meat, produce and an increased variety of other products, he said, adding that new shelves will allow items to be displayed in a more convenient and organized way.

Buck's Grocery underwent an expansion in 1994, moving into about 1,000 square feet of new space constructed on an adjacent lot. The store installed a new scanning system last summer as the first phase of the current expansion project.

Mike and Scott Wigton said they receive requests for new products daily, but space constraints prevented them from being able to add new items. They said that some products, such as chips, had to be kept in several different spots in the store, and customers occasionally had difficulty finding what they were looking for. The expansion will result in increased variety and convenience for the patrons who have supported Buck's Grocery for decades, the Wigtons said.

"We've had a tremendous amount of support from the community," said Mike Wigton.

"This is our way of showing appreciation for it - to supply them with things they need," added Scott Wigton, noting that Buck's Grocery's goal is to continue offering Hot Springs a quality local shopping option.

Scott Wigton said the added space will house a new and larger produce section, which will include all natural and organic products, in addition to double Buck's Grocery's current freezer space. He said the store will be able to offer 25 percent more grocery items.

"They're going to be surprised at how much easier it's going to be to find things," said Scott Wigton. "The variety is what they're going to like the best."

Buck's Grocery was founded by Hot Springs homesteader John Buck in 1928, and moved across the street to its current location a decade later. John Severson leased the business from the Buck family from 1944 to 1946 while brothers Eddie and Howard Buck fought in the Second World War, and the brothers assumed ownership of the store in 1946. Eddie Buck and Joy Severson wed the same year. Their daughter, Trudy Buck, married Mike Wigton and the two now co-own the store with their son, Scott Wigton.