The Superior Express -

Something is going on in the fringes of the Superior business district but what?

We haven't been officially told but speculation says Superior will soon have a combination Dollar Tree and Family Dollar Store.

Such a combination store recently opened in Belleville and the company web site indicates a similar store will soon open at Beloit. The Washington, Kan., newspaper has reported land in that community has been purchased and is being cleared in preparation for the opening of a combination store in that community, as well.

Editorial writers for the newspapers published in Belleville and Washington have questioned why the company would pick their communities and noted other stores now open in those communities were adequately serving and supporting the communities.

In Superior, the transfer of ownership of land on West Third Street has been recorded at the Nuckolls County Courthouse. The land on the south side of Third Street between National and Colorado was used for about 60 years as a motor vehicle display lot. The City of Superior has complied with a developer's request to close the alley which divided the property and has rerouted utility lines at the request of the developer. A public hearing has been scheduled to consider a request for a waiver of numerous zoning requirements.

At this writing, large construction equipment is working on the lot. The dealership's concrete lots has been broken up, some grading work begun.

In March, the web site, chainstorage.com published a story which indicated Dollar Tree would expand its combination store concept and planned to open 600 stores and renovate 1,250 Dollar Tree stores in 2021, Of the 600 new stores, 400 were to be Dollar Tree stores and 200 Family Dollar. The new Family Dollar stores would be a combination store featuring "improved merchandise offerings including a Dollar Tree $1 section and more freezer and cooler doors."

Historically, Dollar Tree and Family Dollar were separate companies.

The first combination store format combining the Dollar Tree and Family Dollar brands under one roof opened in 2019. The combination stores are designed to serve small towns and rural communities.

On Jan. 31, Dollar Tree operated under different names 15,685 stores in 48 states and five Canadian provinces. It has been reported the company has identified more than 3,000 locations that are suitable for its new store concept.

The website, Higher Income Jobs, indicated Dollar Tree may be hiring in Superior but we were unable to confirm that. The site is described as a job search engine that is not an agent or representative of any employer. The web site listed 57 jobs available from various employers at Superior. Various web sites listed Dollar Tree or Family Dollar employment opportunities at Superior but the sites all requested personal information we were not willing to give before providing more details. The sites also listed jobs at Superior that are unlikely to exist such as the Chadron-Alliance child and family services specialist and the Visual Care marriage and family therapist positions.