By Dennis Box-The Courier-Herald
The trucks and excavators are rolling fast and furious on the Lowe's Home Improvement site across from Albertsons on South Prairie Road, and the plan is to continue through the winter until the project is completed.
Jeff Oliphant, the Lowe's project developer, said the earthwork will continue through December. Rather than wait for spring, construction of the home improvement store and other retail space will begin as soon as the earthwork is completed with a projected opening of the store in the spring or early summer.
“That's why we are working 14 hours day, six days a week,” Oliphant said. “We expect building to start in December and continue through to completion.”
The crews are dropping a hill on the site by about 26 feet, according to Oli-phant, and a retaining wall will be constructed once dirt is moved off the site.
“The wall will be built from the top down with 25 foot long nails put in horizontally into the dirt” Oliphant said. “Once we're done we'll sculpt the wall so it will look like rocks.”
The project is designed for a nearly 139,000 square foot Lowe's store with a 32,000 square foot garden center and about 75,000 additional square feet for other retail stores on the 17.7 acre site.
As the construction continues, Brookwater Homeowners Association has a pending lawsuit in Pierce County Superior Court over an access driveway from 200th Avenue Court East. The association contends the driveway is a violation of its covenants because it crosses a lot that is zoned residential.
Tom Kennedy, former association president, said he and other residents have voiced concerns over the association's stand. Kennedy stated he and others do not support the suit.
Dennis Box can be reached at dbox@courierherald.com.
