Construction has begun on the site of a Family Dollar store on the Water Street re-development area.
An official groundbreaking will he held after the August 5th primary election, but construction machinery was busy at work on the site Tuesday, maneuvering around wooden stakes topped with pieces of fluttering fluorescent tape.
The sidewalk along Michigan Avenue is also marked with fluorescent spray paint.
The Family Dollar project is the first on Water Street to see construction begin since 1999.
Washtenaw County will build a recreation center on the 38-acre parcel, and an affordable housing complex is awaiting word on whether it has received the tax credits it needs to move forward.