At long last, shoppers and residents of the Northern Lehigh community can rejoice: A Giant Food Store is on its way to Walnutport.

Giant Food Stores announced today the company will construct six new stores, one of which will be in the building at 300 S. Best Ave, which most recently served as a Pathmark store.

The company will also remodel two locations, and open five new fuel stations in the state, totaling a $70 million capital investment over the next two years.

As part of its growth strategy, the company plans to enter the Walnutport and East Stroudsburg communities for the first time.

“We are positioning the company for long-term growth, and we are excited to grow our presence within East Stroudsburg and Walnutport to better serve the families in those communities,” said Nicholas Bertram, Giant president. “This year Giant is celebrating our founding in Pennsylvania 95 years ago, so we’re especially proud to make these new investments in our home state.”

Both the Walnutport and East Stroudsburg stores are anticipated to open in 2019, and will include new fuel stations.

As a result of these new projects, Giant anticipates bringing about 300 additional jobs to these communities through the hiring of full-time and part-time associates.

Alice Wanamaker, assistant vice president of the northern region for the Greater Northern Lehigh Chamber of Commerce, said the announcement is welcome news for the area.

“We’re super excited,” Wanamaker said. “It’s great to finally get confirmation that our community is again going to have a grocery store available to us.”

Wanamaker added, “We’re going to have reliable, and quality and affordable groceries available to our community.”

“The location in Walnutport, it’s perfect because it’s what we’re used to as a community and so it’s great to see that space is once again going to be utilized.”

A Giant food store has been located in Lehighton since 2001.

“Giant has been a great partner in our other communities, and we’re looking forward to having them in Walnutport,” Wanamaker said. “This has been a long time coming.”

In July 2015, grocery store chain A&P, which also operates Pathmark and Super Fresh stores in the area, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and planned to close or sell off stores due to heightened competition.

As part of that decision, 25 stores closed, one of which is the store at 300 S. Best Ave. in Walnutport.

The building had previously housed a Super Fresh supermarket, and before that, a Kmart.