The new Skagit Farmers Country Store in Freeland will likely be finished by the first week of October.

When the store will open to the public remains unknown.

“With any construction project, there are always things that tend to pop up that add a day here or there,” said Dave Needham, spokesman for Skagit Farmers Supply.

Once the building is finished, Needham said another two weeks will be needed to set shelves and load products. The 18,000-square-foot building in Freeland is located on Cameron Road and Highway 525 next to Nichols Brothers Boat Builders.

Needham said 15 or 16 employees will be hired for the store, and more than 50 people have already applied for a job.

Although the Oak Harbor store has gas pumps, there are no plans for a fueling station at the Freeland location. Needham said space constraints kept gas pumps out of the design.

“We’re limited on parking there, as it is,” he said.

The parking lot can hold 30 cars, and the front of the building that faces Cameron Road will have a covered load and unload area.

Crews broke ground for the new building in mid-February. It will include a 3,000-square-foot garden center, 12,500 square feet of retail space and a 5,500 square-foot warehouse.