Construction work is being done out of public sight  at the new Price Chopper Grocery Store at 2322 S. Main.

The store,  the former Woods Super Market,  is slated to open before the holidays, said Barry Queen, owner/ operator of the Price Chopper Fort Scott grocery store.

“The goal is to open November 10, 2017,” Queen said. “There’s a lot of work going on.  Don’t know whether we’ll make that goal or not.”

“We are excited to get there, but there is a big challenge ahead. There is a lot that has to happen. We’d love to get open before the holidays.”

A big plus for the community is the store will be hiring 100-120 employees Queen said, with the number  depending on the volume of customers the store will have.

“We’ll be setting up a trailer for interviews in the next few weeks,” he said.

Some features of the new store will be a major focus on fresh food, he said.

Produce , a salad bar, food service, a grill, a smoke house, a full service floral department, catering and online shopping, to name a few.

A drive-through Dunkin Donuts will be located on the southeast corner of the facility.

An overlay for the parking lot and adding more light poles will be coming.

The new owner, operator is no stranger to Bourbon County.

“My dad, Jim Queen, was born in Hammond,” he said. “My mom is from the Linn County/Bourbon County area. I have a lot of relations around here.”

Queen has had a vacation home at Lake Fort Scott for 16 years, which will become his part-time home he said. He lives in Paola.

Associated Wholesale Grocers own the real estate the store is on, Queen said.

Crossland Construction, Columbus, is the general contractor and is doing the demolition work; CDL,  Pittsburg is doing the electric work and AAA, Kansas City is the framer for the project, said Brad Vinardi, superintendent with Crossland.