Construction of new $3M Dave’s Market inches forward 

Construction on the new $3 million Dave’s Market is well underway, and work has started on space that will accommodate up to 29 other businesses in Valley Grande.  

Dave Oliver, owner of Dave’s Market, said the new building that has been planned for years has been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic and its side effects of shortages in construction materials, equipment and workers.  

But with all of the delays and challenges, Oliver said construction of the new building is progressing, though more slowly than he would like.  

The walls and roof of the store are up, and work has started on the interior. There will also be a much larger and roomier parking lot. The new Dave’s Market, about two miles south of the current Dave’s Market on Highway 22, will be 35,000 square feet and is the centerpiece of a complex that will include space for 29 other stores.  

The site for these building is prepared and ready for construction, according to Oliver. “I already have 20 people wanting to move in,” he said. 

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Building the new retail space has been a challenge, according to Oliver. Construction started just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, which brought work to a standstill. Oliver said it was nearly impossible to get materials at the height of the pandemic. As the pandemic waned, materials begin to arrive, so construction resumed. Oliver said even now, getting some materials is difficult. For example, it took 13 weeks to take delivery on the store’s front doors, according to Oliver. 

Oliver said a big challenge is getting the equipment needed for the construction. He said that delays in getting equipment is worse now than at the height of the pandemic and is even worse than delays with materials. “It starts out, it will be here two months away, then three months away, then four months away,” Oliver said. “Sometimes, it could be 12 months before it gets here.”  

It’s also been a challenge to get and keep workers on the site, he said. 

Oliver said it took 18 months to get the permit from ALDOT for the turn lane on Highway 22, which caused another delay.  

In Selma Sun’s 2019 story announcing the new development, Oliver estimated it will bring 60 jobs to Dallas County. Oliver also received a 1 percent sales tax break from the city of Valley Grande as an incentive to make the move and bring more businesses and jobs.