Jamey Flegal of Hutton spoke Wednesday about the project to build a new shopping center in Troy featuring Hobby Lobby and TJ Maxx.

“We believe the draw is going to be much better than even the retailers have realized,” Flegal told the members of the Pike County Republican Women at the Troy Country Club. “This is something we believe is really going to excel.”

Out of 120,000 square feet planned at the shopping center, all but 8,000 square feet has been committed, Flegal said. However, some of those lease agreements are still being finalized and thus the only two retailers that have been named to join the shopping center are Hobby Lobby and TJ Maxx.

The project agreement passed by the Troy City Council in May sets those two retailers as necessary for the deal to go through. The city offered $1.5 million in cash incentives to the company as well as the remittance of half of the city’s sales tax and the establishment of a “district” to collect another 1 percent at the center.

Flegal said the leaders of Troy and the Pike County Economic Development were crucial in recruiting Hutton and these retailers over the past three years.

“It has been wonderful to work with Marsha Gaylard (president of the Pike County Economic Development Corporation),” Flegal said. “And Mayor (Jason) Reeves is a passionate man about the City of Troy.”

Gaylard said this shopping center fills a void in the Troy market.

“This is something we’ve desperately needed,” Gaylard said. “We need a lot of retail and we have the population to support it.”

Kim May, director of the Pike County Salvation Army, also spoke at the meeting and told the guests about a first-ever partnership with Walmart on the “Stuff the Bus” campaign.

The event will be held Saturday, August 3, at Troy Walmart.

“There are families that are unable to purchase the school supplies that are needed to get their children off to a good start at the beginning of the school year,” May said. “That is especially true for some families that have several school-age children or those that are facing temporary financial problems because of the loss of jobs, illnesses, emergency situations or just the rising cost of living. The ‘Stuff the Bus’ program is a way to help make sure every child starts to school with the basic supplies they need.”

May said schools make school supply lists available to their students and lists are sometimes made public.

The items can also be ordered on the Salvation Army’s registry online.