New Lowe’s at McClellan opens its doors to public

By Dan Whisenhunt Anniston Star Staff Writer, 10-26-2007 Before the Lowe’s Home Improvement Store in Anniston officially opened Thursday, Jeff Crow waited at a cash register. The White Plains resident came to Anniston by way of the recently reopened Bains Gap Road. He bought material for a siding project. “I love it,” he said. “It’s convenient. It’s a great location.” The 175 employees of the new Anniston store can expect more of the same comments from customers over the next few weeks. Thursday’s board-cutting ceremony —what else? — officially introduced the Model City to its newest neighbor. With the snap of cut wood and an invitational wave from Mayor Chip Howell as he held the hand-saw, Lowe’s finally was open in Anniston.		Anniston Mayor Chip Howell cuts a board Thursday morning during the grand opening ceremony of the Lowe’s Home Improvement Store at McClellan. Photo: Kevin Qualls/The Anniston Star.

McClellan became a place to live, work, play — and buy kitchen sinks.

It’s the beginning of something good for the north part of town and for the former fort, Howell said.

Next, Howell said, the city and the Joint Powers Authority redeveloping McClellan will focus on redeveloping the “golden triangle.”

That’s an area behind Coosa Valley Youth Services, between Summerall Gate Road and the future site of the Eastern Parkway. There’s also talk of more development on property the city has purchased on the other side of Alabama 21, near the new Lowe’s.

“There’s a lot of synergy,” Howell said. “This facility just raises the bar and sets the standard.”

Tom Headrick, sales manager for the new Lowe’s, said the company spent $18.5 million to construct the 117,000-square-foot building.

Developer Earlon McWhorter said he tried for five years to convince Lowe’s of Anniston’s potential.

McWhorter develops Lowe’s stores for a living. Thursday, he sounded like a man who had been there and done that.

“There’s always been a market up here,” he said. “We finally got Lowe’s to take a good look at the top half of (Calhoun County.)”

Ron Peak of Anniston said he likes the new Lowe’s because it is closer to home.

“I shop at the one in Oxford quite frequently,” Peak said. “I’ll probably be coming here a lot more since I live in this area. It will save me a lot of driving time and gas money.”

Betty and Gene Arnett of Weaver said they usually travel 45 minutes to shop at the Lowe’s in Oxford. The trip now will only take them 10 minutes, they said.

“(We’re going to) buy a freezer and a weed eater,” Betty Arnett said as her husband pushed a shopping cart down an aisle. “We’re not through yet.”

Reprinted from The Anniston Star (www.annistonstar.com). Used with permission from Consolidated Publishing Co. Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.