The new Powell Albertsons is gearing up for a late February opening.

“We are thrilled to be working towards opening the new store in Powell the end of February,” regional Albertsons spokesperson Kathy Holland said. “We are currently finalizing plans for the grand opening and ribbon cutting celebration to invite the community to come see the new store.”

When it opens it will be the culmination of a lengthy process that has been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain issues. The store, first announced in late 2020, was finally set to open in November until key electrical equipment was delayed. Workers already hired for the Powell store have been able to work at the Cody location in the meantime.

The grocery store, which will include a liquor department, pharmacy and Starbucks, is replacing the former Shopko on U.S. Highway 14A. The roughly 29,000 square foot building on Powell’s west side became vacant when the Shopko chain went bankrupt, with the Powell store closing in June 2019. Albertsons purchased the facility in January 2020 from a private investment firm that bought up 78 Shopko properties amid the bankruptcy.

In October, Albertsons representatives asked the City of Powell for an exemption to be able to keep their liquor license despite not yet being operational.

“Albertsons remains committed and looks forward to becoming part of the community and serving the City of Powell for years to come,” Johanna Chacon with Albertsons corporate said in a letter to the council at the time. “Work on the project will continue in other phases, which will expedite our opening once the equipment arrives. And we will continue to explore all options to open the store as soon as possible.”