Albertsons grocery store had a construction kick-off last week in the former Alorica building that previously was the Dollar Saver grocery store on Radio Road.
Durant City Council approved an economic development agreement on Aug. 12, 2025, that will bring an Albertsons grocery store to Durant.
Christy Lara, director of public relations of Albertsons Companies, said the company has been searching for new areas to expand its footprint and serve new guests.
“So, that means a lot of growth and change, but one thing that is not changing is our Albertsons commitment to our guests and the communities where they live and work,” Lara said. “We’re excited to break ground today on this future location where we’ll serve our Durant and Bryan County guests with the same customer service and quality products that we’re known for throughout the country.”
Durant Vice Mayor Mike Simulescu said the project represents more than bricks and square footage.
“It represents investment, opportunity and most importantly, a commitment to serve the people that work, live and raise families in our community,” Simulescu said.
The vice mayor said the investment brings food, convenience and a choice to the community that it had not had in recent times.
“It also creates jobs, supports local suppliers and strengthens our local economy,” Simulescu said. “It is the kind of development that will improve the everyday lives of our citizens.”
Simulescu thanked the leadership and team behind this project for believing in the community and choosing to invest here.
“Your partnership, patience and collaboration with local leaders made this possible, and we’re thankful for that commitment,” Simulescu said. “I’m also thankful for my colleagues on the city council with a vision for growth and development that are making these projects a priority in our city. I also would like to recognize everybody else who has played a role in bringing this vision to life. From our planners and builders to the city staff and our community partners.
“Today, is more than about starting construction, it’s about a new chapter. One that adds convenience for our residents, opportunity for our workforce and momentum for continued growth.”
Lara introduced Robert Horton, president of Horton TX that she said is a great development partner.
Horton said the company is honored to have been chosen as the developer for the Albertsons project.
“We’re now on our third development with Albertsons,” Horton said. “It’s been a great partnership. First, I would like to thank the City of Durant for all of the extra attention you’ve given to us in working through this process. Projects like this can be a bit messy and being able to push permits through quickly and problem solve as we step into this has been very helpful, so we appreciate that.”
According to Horton, the project will be a fast-track design of a 60,000 square foot redevelopment of an old grocery store. He anticipates completion of construction in the fall of 2026 and for the store to open before the end of the year.
Steve Bruszer, president Spring Valley Construction Company that is handling construction, said the project is all about relationships. He said the company is 53 years old and has a long history in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
“We’ve also actually built in Durant,” Bruszer said. “It’s been a minute. Twenty-one years ago, we finished the student housing at Southeastern Oklahoma State University.”
Lara then announced a $10,000 check presentation from Albertsons Foundation to the Durant Independent School District.
“It’s very important for us to be part of the community and so today, we want to make a commitment,” she said. “The Durant ISD school district uses a site called Donors Choose for projects to fund throughout the district so that teachers can apply for funding for projects that might otherwise go unfunded and so we are going to commit today to fund $10,000 in projects through Donors Choose specifically for Durant ISD.”
Superintendent Mark Moring was not present for the presentation and when asked about it later, he said, “That’s phenomenal. With the ice storm and everything that hit, nobody contacted the school about it, but Pam Polk, city manager, contacted me and told me about it and I got a hold of Albertsons and we’re going to do a presentation of the check. They want to talk about future sponsorships for the school, and they really want to dig into the community and be a part of the community, so that’s real exciting too. That was a pleasant surprise.”
According to Moring, the funds will be deposited into a student activity account.
“We’re going to probably use that money for our student needs, whether that be supplies or clothing,” Moring said. “We use a lot of that. A lot of money that we aren’t expecting in will go to the clothes closet to help underprivileged students.”
