It's an exciting time for Billings shoppers, as several nationally known franchises are making their way to the Magic City.
After months of construction, the old Big Bear building will be back up and running in spring 2023, but it will have a different look. HomeGoods, Sierra Trading Post, and Petco will be moving in, and there will eventually be two other new businesses in the area as well.
The construction will be finished by December, and project superintendent Ken Chouinard said the new business will be great for the city of Billings.
“I think it’ll be great especially for this neighborhood," Chouinard said at the site. "The more people that are living here the more amenities you’re going to need the more stores you’re going to need."
Chouinard said the construction has been going on for months, but when remodeling an old building it typically comes with its challenges.
“Every time you’re dealing with the structural steel it has to be engineered and brought back up to code,” Chouinard said.
Just around the corner on 24th street construction of the new Chick-fil-A is also nearing its completion. The store is located in the same parking lot as Planet Fitness, and the contractor says their construction will be completed on December 3rd, however it is the company's policy to not open between Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve.
Across the street, in the old Pier 1 building, Skechers, the popular shoe brand, is in the process of establishing an outlet store as well. Both Chick-fil-A and Skechers are eyeing mid-january as their potential opening dates.
The additions of well-known businesses come with a lot of excitement for the local stores in Billings as it will hopefully bring in more customers for them as well.
Cajun Phatty's is a restaurant located in the same parking lot as the old Big Bear building. Meadoe Beaulieu is one of the servers there and she said they are hoping the new businesses will increase their sales as well.
“We’re super excited," Beaulieu said. "All the business is good business, so we’re pumped to have new stores."
Beaulieu has lived in Billings for 22 years. As a resident, she is looking forward to some of the national retail stores coming to her hometown.
“It’s kind of cool just to have it accessible to everyone, and the more stores the better," Beaulieu said. "Growing up in Billings, I've always wanted to have some of these stores here."
