We’ve seen the sign. Now when will we see the Walmart Neighborhood Market?

The Walmart Neighborhood Market planned for the intersection of Bluffton Parkway and highway S.C. 170 might finally be making some headway.

Construction will begin sometime in August, and the store should open in June 2017, according to Art Waaland, a partner with the developer Coastal Retail Services LLC. The store was originally expected to open in late 2015 and then in 2016.

A site plan submitted by Waaland details a 43,108-square-foot Walmart Neighborhood Market to serve as the anchor on the property, in addition to two other retailers. The Walmart Neighborhood Market differs significantly from a typical Walmart in size and products offered; a Neighborhood Market is generally a quarter of the size of a regular Walmart and targets shoppers who want to make quick purchases and avoid superstores. It would be the first Neighborhood Market in Beaufort County.

Drivers passing the site on S.C. 170 might have noticed recent activity. The Beaufort County Engineering Division is administering construction on the entrances for the property. Walmart has yet to start any construction on the property, Waaland said.

According to Waaland, some of the delay was due to Walmart attorneys “clarifying” a wetlands permit.

“It’s been taken care of,” he said. “You got to get attorneys to get all the things in order, close on the deal.”

He said everything has been given the green light by the retailer, and he hopes to start the project soon.

“It’s been a long haul going through the whole permitting process,” he said. “So you know, we’ve been plugging away.”

This story was originally published July 29, 2016 at 3:55 PM with the headline "We’ve seen the sign. Now when will we see the Walmart Neighborhood Market?."