Great Bend Chamber of Commerce Jan Peters had some good news for the City Council Monday night. The Love’s Country Store at 1221 10th St. in Great Bend will be expanding.

The convenience store will be stretching to the south and east, adding truck parking and two diesel fuel bays. In all, it will be a $1.5-2 million expansion.

Peters said the contract was signed Dec. 10, but it is still a work in progress. There will be meetings in January to iron out the details.

“We’ve been working since 2015 to get a truck stop,” she said. Love’s was considering building such a plaza just east of Great Bend along U.S. 56. But, company officials said they couldn’t make that work.

“This isn’t a big truck stop,” Peters said. “But, this is the next best thing.”

Besides, she said, the existing Love’s location is one of the chain’s best producing stores and it doesn’t want to give it up.

As for funding, it will be paid for by the company, she said. Love’s is looking at the Neighborhood Revitalization Program or seeking to establish a Community Improvement District (both offer tax credits to developers).