After more than a year of negotiations, B&R Stores has worked out a deal to expand its Russ's Market store at East Park Plaza, 66th and O streets.
The store, which is the smallest Russ's Market in Lincoln and the second-oldest, will expand into space next door that was vacated more than a year ago by CVS pharmacy.
The additional space will allow the store, which opened in 1979, to nearly double in size from 25,500 to more than 46,000 square feet.
Among planned interior upgrades and additions are a pharmacy with a drive-through window on the south side of the building, a café with indoor seating and expansion of all departments to add more products, with particular focus on fresh food and liquor.
Work on the interior upgrades should begin this spring and be complete by January 2016 at the latest.
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The company plans outdoor improvements as well, including installation of a fueling station near the O Street entrance and a new facade with a new main entrance and separate entrance for the liquor department.
The facade upgrade will start this spring as well, coinciding with a roof replacement being done by the landlord, said Jane Raybould, vice president of B&R Stores.
Raybould said work on the fuel pumps is more complicated, because of the licensing and environmental requirements, so when those will be operational is less certain.
She said the Lincoln-based grocery chain is "really excited to finally get this done."
"It has been a long journey to get this deal finalized."
Raybould said B&R Stores was interested in expanding even before CVS moved out in November 2013 after it opened a new store at 70th and O streets, and almost had a deal in place at that time to take over the space.
But then the mall's owners ran into financial problems.
East Park was foreclosed on last May and lenders took over the property.
"We pretty much had to start the whole process over again," Raybould said.
Now that a new lease is signed, she said she is excited to improve the store, which has lots of loyal customers and has remained competitive amid the changing grocery landscape in east Lincoln.
The store's biggest competition used to be from Hy-Vee right across the street, but that store closed several years ago when Hy-Vee opened a new store at 50th and O streets.
More recently, competition has arrived in the form of Whole Foods about half a mile to the west and discount grocer ALDI about a mile east.
A remodeled store with gas pumps is going to be "even more attractive to the customers," Raybould said.
She declined to say how much the renovations will cost, saying those details are still being worked out. Suffice it to say, though, the cost will be considerable.
"The city of Lincoln will probably be happy with what we're spending," she said.