Nearly a year after it first announced its expansion into Maricopa, Lowe’s Home Improvement has finally started construction on what will be a 139,000-square-foot hardware store and garden center.

The Mooresville, N.C.-based big box retailer and direct competitor of Home Depot, which opened in Maricopa in September, began construction for its newest location at Southbridge Marketplace on John Wayne Parkway at Honeycutt Avenue this week.

So far, construction workers have been laying foundation and installing support beams on the site, according to reporters who visited today.

This crucial development comes several months later than developers originally intended; they had hoped to begin construction this summer. However, representatives from Lowe’s and Indianapolis developer Thompson Thrift did not immediately respond to requests seeking comment on the timeline.

City spokesperson Monica Williams was reached but unable to answer questions.