BILLINGS — Construction is the word heard most often on Billings' West End this fall, but some of it is actually causing more excitement than frustration.
The structure of a new Albertson's grocery store on the corner of 54th Street West and Grand Avenue is built. It will be Billings' only supermarket west of 32nd Street West.
It is the biggest of several construction projects that signal the infrastructure is trying to catch up with a population that is growing in west Billings.
"Whether you want it to or whether you don’t want it to, it’s going to happen," said West End resident Cody Clark.
Clark has seen the West End growth firsthand. After growing up in the area, he moved back with his wife to raise their three small kids. You’ll probably run into them at the new Albertson’s.
"This will be our closest one," he said. "We’ll definitely be coming to this one."
At least for a little while. Pharm406 owner Kyle Austin is opening a new location with an attached market on King Avenue, just West of Shiloh. Not much earth has been moved yet, but renderings give you an idea of what it will look like when finished.
Clark is also excited about a new Town Pump gas station going in at King and Shiloh.
"It’ll be very convenient for us," he said. "If we need to run to the gas station or the convenience store, it’s right there."
This will be the sixth Town Pump location in Billings, with another just eight blocks away from the new build, but this one will be significantly bigger. It’s slated to open before the end of the year.
It’ll be convenient for people checking out the new additions to Shiloh Crossing across the street. Athleta, a women’s activewear store, has a prominent corner location. It’s touting a fall 2022 opening. The outside is finished, and crews were working inside Monday.
The most recent development? Chipotle filed a building permit with the city Friday for a new location in Shiloh Crossing. It would be the chain’s second Billings store. For Cody, it’s just another option for him and his family.
"The way it’s developing, you might as well have those resources there for people that need them," he said.
People went west, and now everything else is following.
