On the Edges

Nixa

Nixa Chamber holds Business After Hours

A Nixa Area Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours event will be held at 5:30 p.m. April 27 at Manpower and Empire Realtors, 307 West St.

Albertson's remodels store on Massey

A drive-up prescription window is one of the enhancements that will be made to the Albertson's store at 400 N. Massey Blvd. (Highway 160). Store Director Dan Shultz said the project will be similar to one recently completed at the Albertson's at 3260 E. Battlefield in Springfield.

A general contractor has not yet been named, but Shultz said he anticipates construction will begin in May and take approximately six months. Some of Albertson's back room space will be converted to sales floor, according to Shultz.

The plans call for enhancing many of the store's existing departments and adding new areas, such as a cosmetics department with an on-staff cosmetician, and a deli and coffee bar with limited seating. The fruit and salad section will be expanded, and there will be a bigger selection of wines and specialty cheeses.

A meal center will provide "take home and heat foods" as part of the deli. Albertson's now has 120 employees, Shultz said, but new positions will be added once the remodeling project is complete.

Just south of Albertson's, a Walgreens pharmacy is under construction at the corner of highways 160 and 14. The opening of Walgreens will "Keep more people shopping in Nixa," Shultz said.

Ozark

Good Morning Ozark set for April 27

Child Abuse Prevention Month speaker Bea Tally, with the Department of Family Services, will be the featured speaker at Good Morning Ozark, sponsored by the Ozark Area Chamber of Commerce. The breakfast meeting begins at 7 a.m. April 27 at Shoney's in Ozark. The cost is $7. For more information, call 581-6139.

Republic

Wal-Mart Supercenter planned for 2002

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. still plans to build a supercenter in Republic on approximately 28 acres at the intersection of highways 60 and 174, according to Republic City Administrator Dean P. Thompson. Wal-Mart's plans to open a new supercenter in west Springfield have not affected those plans, Thompson said.

"I discussed that with Wal-Mart, and it has not affected the deal in Republic. They purchased the property in September (1999) and they do own the property. It's just a matter of when they're going to do it," Thompson said.

Republic's agreement to help improve the site depends on the Wal-Mart Supercenter opening in 2002. The site will require $500,000 worth of improvements to the drainage system before construction of the approximately 152,000-square-foot store can begin.

The developer agreement calls for Republic to reimburse Wal-Mart for the $500,000 in improvements from sales tax revenue generated in the first five to seven years of the store's operation. A strip center and freestanding pad for a restaurant or other business are also planned for the site, Thompson said. Site improvements will take nine to 12 months, with construction of the store set to begin in 2001.

Treatment plant construction begins

Republic City Administrator Dean P. Thompson said construction on Republic's new wastewater treatment plant has begun. Branco Construction is the contractor for the project, which will take 14 months to complete. In May, Republic will introduce an ordinance to increase utility rates over a 12- to 18-month period to help finance the project. "It will lessen the impact on utility customers to implement incremental increases over time," Thompson said.

Rogersville

Sewer line extension approved

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has given the go-ahead for the city of Rogersville to complete new sewer line extensions, according to City Administrator Larry Martin.

About 160 homes in three subdivisions (Sawyer Creek, Pine Ridge Estates and Lea Brooke fifth addition) have been platted. "Lea Brooke has been approved, and the other two should be approved within the next few months," Martin said.

"The DNR had concerns that the city had reached design capacity on the number of potential hookups. We argued that capacity was allotted and had not been utilized, and they agreed in the form of a settlement agreement and are allowing additional hookups," he added.

A $2.2 million wastewater treatment project, which includes achieving the phosphorus removal standard for cities in the James River Basin, will begin construction in November or December 2000 and will be completed by December 2001.