The businesses are slated to go up at the mini-power centre at the main entrance to town - the corner of Highways 3 and 24 -that also includes a Staples, Shoppers Drug Mart, and Boston Pizza.

"We're going to come out in a month or so with approvals (from town hall)," said Charlie Miller, president of Canadian Commercial Development, which owns the land at the corner and leases the space to the chain companies there. "We hope in the next 60 days to be going full steam ahead."

Site preparation, he said, will happen when the weather breaks and construction usually takes five to six months to complete.

Both stores were announced some time ago and were originally scheduled to be finished before the end of last year.

But development was stalled due to "internal delays," said Miller, who declined to elaborate further except to say "the delays were ours."

Canadian Commercial Development also has plans to erect a 12,838-square-foot building just to the west of the Staples but is looking for a name retailer to sign a lease before it builds, he added.

The Coffee Culture, a high-end European-style coffee chain normally found in downtowns in Ontario towns, will go up next to the Active Green & Ross garage, which closed in December.

A spokesperson for Active Green & Ross said the company intends to re-open there.

"We're looking for another franchisee," said Andy Chiodo, marketing manager for Active Green & Ross, which has 75 stores in Ontario. "It's available for franchising."

A former gas station where the two buildings are set to go up was torn down and the site has been successfully "decommissioned" by its former owner Suncor, Miller said.

Miller called the 6.1-acre site "a great corner" and reiterated his company's desire to "assemble the whole block eventually."

He credited planning staff at town hall for helping to bring his projects to life.

"Your council and staff are fabulous," he said.