Equipment should be on hand in the next few days beginning work on the new Ernie's Food Market store on Highway 10 east. A ground breaking ceremony was held Tuesday at the site, with store and city officials taking part. From left, the group included Jerel Nelsen, EDA executive director; Wendy Schluender and Chuck Mayer, Staples Motley Area Chamber of Commerce; Nate Mathews, city administrator; city council member Roy Miles, Greg Giza; Mayor Chris Etzler, Al Kolling, EDA; Al Erbe, store owner, Joel Quance city council; Barb Erbe, (Al's boss); Morgan Martin, Chamber administrative assistant; Mark Schmitz, EDA; John Carlson, project manager for Hammers Construction; Joe Hammers, general manager; Jeff Harrison, Mason Brothers; Dave Pierson, Mason Brothers retail consultant and Stan Carlson, city council and EDA. (Staples World photo by Tom Crawford) Ground was broken Tuesday morning, Sept. 1, for the new Ernie's Food Market building on Highway 10 east in Staples.

The actual construction is expected to begin within the next two weeks, according to Al Erbe, owner of the store that has been located in downtown Staples for six decades. It is expected to be completed over the winter and open for business by May 1.

Hammers Construction of Perham is the general contractor for the project, with several local subcontractors also involved, according to Erbe.

The new building will be taking up just over 30,000 square feet on the lot located off 14th Street N.E., just south of T Maxwells and west of the Staples Veterinary Clinic location.

What all will be in the new building? "There will be larger departments for groceries plus new things to the area, including deli, convenience store and gas and more," Erbe said this week.

The new store will be roughly double the size of the existing Ernie's located at Highway 10 and Fifth Street. It will include the usual grocery items, but with enlarged meat, produce and grocery depart- ments, including a new deli area. There is space along one side allotted for a convenience store, liquor sales and tobacco sales. In addition, there are three rental spots available that are not currently designated. In the planning stages, possibilities that have been penciled in have included a bank office, pharmacy and a retail space.

The new building, which has been in the planning stages for several months, will be steel construction with a brick fascia. It will be situated on the west side of the lot, with parking primarily east of the building.

The convenience store gas pumps will be just east of the building, located close to a separate convenience store entrance.

Access to the site for customers will be from a new road to be built at 14th Street as well as from 12th Street. The new location will also offer customers expanded and more convenient parking space.

The new building and site have been designed to meet all state and city building codes and zoning rules, with sufficient parking space and also sufficient area for water to drain from the hard surfaced parking lot to a lagoon on the property.

The land on the south side of new Highway 10 was purchased by Ernie's last year from the city, which had obtained the property from the state after Highway 10 was completed.

Two additional large commercial lots are available due west of the Ernie's site. Although both a department store and a motel chain have been discussed as potential developments, neither of those have materialized. At the current time the two empty lots are both available for sale by the city.

On hand for the ground breaking event on Tuesday were Al and Barb Erbe, Jeff Harrison and Dave Pierson from Mason Brothers of Wadena, wholesale suppliers of much of the store's food; and Joe Hammers and John Carlson from Hammers Construction of Perham.

Also present were Mayor Chris Etzler and members of the Staples City Council and Staples EDA, Morgan Martin and others from the Staples and Motley Area Chamber of Commerce, and city administrator Nate Mathews and EDA executive director Jerel Nelsen.