The city of Warrenton announced this week that Rural King Farm and Home Store has closed on a land purchase for a future store in Warrenton.“We welcome them, we’re glad to have them as part of the community. And I think people in the community will be glad to have them here,” said Warrenton Mayor Eric Schleuter.Rural King announced in March that it had put a contract on the land, which is between the Shoppes at Warrenton mall and Highway MM.Although construction won’t begin immediately, Schleuter said this is one more step in the process of bringing the major retailer to Warrenton. The goal is for the store to be open in fall 2019.Before opening, Rural King has to get a permit from the Army Corps of Engineers, which can take months, because the store site is next to a stream. The store will also have to go through Warrenton’s planning and zoning process.The Rural King store in Warrenton will be 85,000 square feet, making it one of the largest retail stores in the city. The store will offer a wide variety of products, some of which aren’t currently available in the area.“This Rural King store is the culmination of unwavering efforts that began in 2014 and continued diligently working toward the vision of making it a reality,” said City Administrator Terri Thorn. “We are excited with the prospect of this store opening in the fall of 2019.”Rural King’s arrival in Warrenton is part of a much larger plan that city officials and private developers hope will result in a new commercial district along Interstate 70. Land is slated for future development north and south of the new I-70 interchange being built on the west side of the city.The Rural King development was made possible by voters approving sales tax measures to pay for the interchange project, Thorn said.An agreement with the city will allow a certain portion of sales taxes from the Shoppes at Warrenton mall, and Rural King itself, to be used as reimbursement for Rural King’s construction costs. Up to $5 million could be directed toward Rural King.Rural King logo