Since late June, when Lemont Mayor Brian Reaves announced at a village board meeting that Ace Hardware would bring a new location to Lemont, residents have been asking, “When?”

Ace Hardware owner Dan Harris appears as anxious as anyone to open his new store at 1096 State St., next to Chipain's Fresh Market. But after a few delays along the way, Harris is finally beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel.

This week, he said, electricians will be putting the finishing touches on the store’s lighting – and once the shelving is in place, workers will begin stocking them.

“It looks like we will probably be open on Dec. 17,” Harris said. “We are moving along at a pretty good clip now.  Our sign is up - and the store should start to get stock in it right after Thanksgiving.”

Harris and his wife, Pattie, also own Palos Ace Hardware at 6465 W. 127^th St. in Palos Heights.

"We're eager to be here, and are excited to be in this community," Harris told the Lemont Village Board in June. "We just ask that the community supports us. We're locally owned, and we will pay back in many different ways."

The Ace Hardware chain has nearly 4,800 retail stores throughout the United States and around the world. Each store is independently owned and operated.

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