WATERBORO — Fourteen months ago, Brookfield Place on Main Street in south Waterboro went up in flames and the three retail businesses that operated there were destroyed.

Now, a new building, with the same square footage as the old, is in its place, and is being readied for an October opening.

Cindy Plummer, who owns the property with her husband Troy and brother-in-law Garrett, said Plummer’s Ace Hardware at 1009 Main St. is targeted to open around Oct. 15. She said it is her understanding that Family Dollar, which was a tenant in the old building and will be in the new one, may open a bit sooner.

“We’re excited to get going again,” said Plummer by phone on Tuesday morning.

While the old building had three storefronts —a restaurant had occupied the third, the hardware store and the general merchandise retailer will be the sole occupants of the new building.

In the aftermath of the July 2017 fire that gutted Brookfield Place, hardware store employees were offered jobs in other Plummer’s locations — the Waterboro hardware store was part of the family business that includes a supermarket in Buxton and hardware stores in Buxton and Limerick. Plummer on Tuesday estimated at least three of the employees will be returning to the Waterboro location; the others were students and had found employment elsewhere, she said.

Firefighters from 15 departments fought the blaze in 2017. The cause was undetermined due to the extent of damage, fire officials said at the time.

Plummer said Ace Hardware Corporation began installing shelving in the new store this week.

While Oct. 15 is the targeted day for the doors to open to consumers, a Grand Opening event is planned for Nov. 9 and 10.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or twells@journaltribune.com.