HARTSELLE — Dollar General is building a 9,000-square-foot store in Hartselle, officials confirmed Friday.

Director of Development Jeff Johnson said the store will be located at 1505 Main St. East near Interstate 65 on a 1.13-acre plot between Redstone Federal Credit Union and Mike's Cowboys gas station.

Johnson said the city issued a building permit in November to contractor The Broadway Group of Huntsville for the $375,000 retail project.

Mayor Don Hall said construction crews are waiting for soil to dry before breaking ground at the site, which will include a 36-vehicle parking lot and more than 7,000 square feet of retail space.

Helping the city grow its tax base by recruiting new businesses was at the top of Hall's agenda during his mayoral campaign after the shuttering of Hartselle Medical Center last year.

Johnson said no completion date for the store has been announced. Another Dollar General operates at 241 U.S. 31 in the Crestwood Shopping Center near Rite-Aid and Domino's Pizza.

"This is the first freestanding Dollar General we've had in the city, and we're very pleased to see more retail development occur at the Alabama 36 and I-65 corridor," Johnson said.

Calls to Dollar General corporate spokeswoman Crystal Ghassemi were not returned Friday afternoon. Officials with The Broadway Group in Huntsville declined to comment on the project.

Lucy Berry can be reached at 256-340-2442 or lucy.berry@decaturdaily.com.