Staff photo / Dan Pompili A crew from Foust Concrete in Hubbard works Tuesday on the sidewalk near the entry at the site of the new Meijer store in Austintown. Trustee Robert Santos said the store is expected to open in April or May. Work on a red light at the driveway, close to Chick-fil-A, is beginning this week, and Santos said the light will be operational by the time the store opens.

AUSTINTOWN — Construction of the new Meijer grocery store on Mahoning Avenue is progressing, and the buildings and parking lot almost look like they’re ready for shoppers. But there is much more work to be done before the store’s expected opening in May.

Construction crews this week began installing a drop-down lane at the west access point of the lot and a red light at the eastern entryway across from Chick-fil-A.

An email from Steven Houlette of RT Vernal Paving and Excavating to the Mahoning County Engineer’s Office, shared by Austintown Zoning Inspector Darren Crivelli, states the traffic signal construction began Tuesday.

The project will continue into next week with curb and walkway installation, paving, seeding and striping. Work on the signal and access lanes are expected to be completed by Oct. 11.

Houlette told the engineer’s office they have been in contact with Chick-fil-A to establish a traffic pattern for the work to not disrupt the business or traffic along that stretch of Mahoning Avenue too much.

Crivelli said the signal will be operational at least by the store’s opening day, and hopefully before that.

He said Rockford, the general contractor handling the project, plans to hand the store over to Meijer in March, and the company will have it for about two months before opening the doors to the public. Crivelli said Meijer has not yet given the township an official opening date.

The plans for the 160,000-square-foot shopping center, with a gas station and convenience store in front, were approved by the township in 2016 for the site of the former Austintown Middle School, but the project has been pushed back several times.

It was delayed again in May 2023, after the township hoped to have the store open in May, but Meijer opted to take 2023 to complete all of its site engineering and permit work before beginning construction.

Trustee Bruce Shepas said trustees are pleased with the progress so far and look forward to the store’s opening.

“They’ve been really easy to work with,” he said. “Any time we need to talk to them, they’re easy to talk to; they work well with the township.”

He said having three of the township’s biggest grocery stores — Walmart, Aldi and Meijer — located in one area will make for convenience and good competition.

“I think it’s good to have a choice, have some selection,” he said. “Talking to residents, I know they love the fact that Meijer offers an app with a points system for discounts, and they’ve been doing discount mailers, and we all know Walmart doesn’t do that. And I think people are excited for it.”