![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/files\/2020\/01\/shoppingcenter-color-1024x731.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Sage Kiernan-Sherrow<\/strong>\u00a0 | News Editor<\/span><\/p>\n As one drives down Main Street towards Independence, there is a large chunk of land currently being developed to the right of the road. Many locals know this area as the \u201cS-curves,\u201d but Monmouth City Council building official, Larry Thornton, says the area will be known as the Ash Creek Station when it is fully developed.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Salem resident, Jack Fox, purchased the land in 1999, which will be transformed into a small shopping center complete with nine buildings plus a medical facility. Thus far, three businesses have been confirmed as tenants: a larger and improved Roth\u2019s grocery store, a Papa Murphy\u2019s and a Tractor Supply Co.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThis has been an ongoing process for quite some time,\u201d Thornton stated, \u201cMr. Fox has been trying to develop the land for a lot of years. There was a Wetlands issue on the property and until those issues were mitigated, everything was basically put on hold.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Fox originally applied for permits back in 2018, according to Thornton, and since they\u2019ve received approval from the Corps of Army Engineers, they are now in the second stage of building \u2014 a technical process of \u201cframing,\u201d a process where concrete blocks are arranged to act as the buildings frame.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cRoth\u2019s is further along. They\u2019ve got all their walls up and they\u2019re putting on the roof system \u2026 once the building is watertight, they can start working on a lot of the other issues like putting the concrete floor down and the wiring and plumbing,\u201d said Thornton.<\/span><\/p>\n The prospect of a new grocery store is something Thornton thinks the community will be excited about as Monmouth hasn\u2019t had their own grocery store for the past 15 years.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a need for these kinds of businesses in Monmouth \u2026 I think the general public is totally behind it and probably thinking it\u2019s been a long time coming and we\u2019re glad it\u2019s here,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n