Moses Lake store to open January 2009

MOSES LAKE- Movement on the future site of a Moses Lake location of Walgreens is in preparation for construction to begin.

City of Moses Lake Community Development Director Gilbert Alvarado said workers are "grubbing" the site and have begun preparing the site for construction.

"(They are) getting it to a point where they can actually bring a construction crew on site," Alvarado said. "Right now what you're seeing is the site prep work. That piece of property has some significant site prep work that needs to be completed before they can start construction - the elevation changes between the front of the property and the back of the property need to be resolved."

The city has issued a building permit, which has been picked up and paid for.

"It's a matter of simply getting the prep work completed," Alvarado said.

Construction work follows on the same site at the intersection of Alder and Broadway, he added.

"You have to understand, the site prep work really doesn't require our inspection," he said. "I would imagine the site prep work's going to be completed within the next few weeks, at the pace they're going."

The footing foundation for the building is under way, Alvarado added.

Alvarado said the S.E. Grainger Development Group, which is developing the location, expects to open the store in January 2009.

The Columbia Basin Herald was unable to reach Scott Grainger of S. E. Grainger Development Group for comment.