Progress is being made on the 25-acre site for a new PrairieLand Partners’ facility at the northwest corner of U.S. 169 and Oregon Road.
Iola annexed the land in early 2023. The shell of the main structure has been erected and work continues on the building.
Iola store manager Dale Lalman noted that sheet metal work should be completed by the end of the week. He anticipates ceiling installation and roof work to begin next week.
The completion date is on schedule for December 2024, according to Lalman. “That’s when they’ll turn the building over to us and we’ll begin moving in,” he added. Lalman hopes to have the business open and operational by March 2025.
The original completion timeframe was November 2024, but Lalman says Mother Nature caused some setbacks.
PrairieLand Partners plans to spend an estimated $14 million on the new store, which serves as a John Deere farm implement dealership. The new facility will be 74,000 square feet and include a second floor. 
Iola Council members voted to split the cost with PrairieLand to extend a new sewer line to the facility at a projected cost of $69,552.70. “Work is currently being done on the septic system as we speak,” Lalman said.
“We are very excited about how we can serve the community and producers,” added Lalman. “We’re currently in a very outdated facility, so this will help us to better serve.”
