An opening date of Aug. 13 is being displayed for the new Target store in West Ellicott. No official grand opening has been announced. P-J photo by Eric Tichy

One of southern Chautauqua County’s most anticipated new stores appears ready to open.

A sign recently hung outside Target along Fairmount Avenue in West Ellicott states that it will open Aug. 13, a Sunday. The retail giant first confirmed toward the end of November 2021 it would open inside the former Kmart location.

Target lettering recently has been placed on the front of the 117,000-square-foot store.

A sign also states that the store is still hiring; a check on Target’s website Monday lists several job openings, including for the Starbucks to be situated inside, as well as for stocking and cashiers. It’s not clear how many full- and part-time workers the West Ellicott store will employ.

The arrival of Target ensured the former Kmart — which closed its doors in 2019 — would not sit vacant for long and that upgrades would be made to the store’s parking lot. In addition, the vehicle entrance off Southwestern Drive also was rebuilt.