The Fleet Farm retail store under construction at 1300 S.E. Kettlestone Blvd. in Waukee. The store is scheduled to open in August. Photo by Kathy A. Bolten
What: Fleet Farm

Where: 1300 S.E. Kettlestone Blvd., Waukee

Project value: $25.4 million

Background and update: Fleet Farm, the Wisconsin-based big box retailer, announced last April it was opening a new store immediately north of Interstate Highway 80 at the exit for Grand Prairie Parkway in Waukee. The project, which is on 19.8 acres, is the first phase of the Hurd Kettlestone development. The Waukee City Council approved the site plan in April and a building permit for the project was issued in May.

In addition to the 187,834-square-foot retail building with an outdoor storage area and seasonal garden center, the site includes a 7,159-square-foot convenience store with car wash and eight gasoline pumps, city documents show. The site plan showed the development has 684 parking spaces.

The project's original target completion date was April 2020. Now, the scheduled opening is Aug. 26, according to Richard Hurd, the project’s developer. The main retail store, convenience store and car wash will open at the same time.

Before the store opens, plans call for Waukee to extend Kettlestone Boulevard and install traffic signals at Grand Prairie and Kettlestone. A city spokeswoman said those projects are scheduled to be completed in late April.

Hurd said while construction of the stores is nearing completion, it will take up to 120 additional days to install fixtures, stock the stores and hire workers. It will take another 30 days to train staff, he said.

"This new store is an evolution of the Ankeny Fleet Farm. [It] is brighter internally and will offer additional products for the whole family as well as the traditional Fleet Farm merchandise," Hurd said.

Fleet Farm has 45 locations in Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota and Iowa, according to the retailer’s website. On average, a Fleet Farm store creates 200 jobs. The chain sells a wide range of merchandise, including apparel, hunting equipment, appliances, farm supplies and sporting goods.

Others involved in the project: Developer is Richard Hurd; general contractor is Miron Construction Inc. based in Neenah, Wis.

Previous coverage: To read previous coverage, click here.

- By Kathy A. Bolten

A Commercial Real Estate Weekly feature in which we update the status of projects underway in the Greater Des Moines area. Want to include an update about your project or suggest a project to include? Email: kathybolten@bpcdm.com.