ANNISTON — County officials and retail representatives gathered Tuesday for a groundbreaking ceremony at the site of the new Dollar General location on Country Club Road, calling the development "a natural fit for the corridor" and "exactly the kind of investment this area has been waiting for."

The 9,100-square-foot store will occupy a parcel immediately adjacent to the Anniston Country Club, whose members have played the same eighteen holes since 1915. Representatives from the country club were not present at the ceremony.

"Dollar General is a proven economic driver in communities of all sizes," said a representative from the retailer's regional development office, gesturing toward a rendering that depicted the store under a cloudless sky. "We're proud to call Anniston home."

The new location will be the fourth Dollar General within a two-mile radius of the intersection, which county planners have described in internal documents as "adequately served."

At the ribbon cutting, Calhoun County Commissioner Dale Morrow noted that the store would bring an estimated fourteen jobs to the area, eight of which would be part-time.

"This is what progress looks like," Morrow said.

A man near the back of the crowd, who identified himself only as a club member of forty-one years, asked whether anyone had considered a different use for the parcel. He was thanked for his input.

The groundbreaking concluded with ceremonial shovel photos. Refreshments were provided. The store is expected to open in the fourth quarter, pending permitting.

The Calhoun Dispatch will continue to monitor this development. A Dollar General spokesperson confirmed the store will carry seasonal merchandise.