Customers enter the new Rite Aid across from Clearview Mall in Center Township after the grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday. The store in the mall closed Wednesday.

On Wednesday, the Rite Aid in the Clearview Mall closed its doors. On Thursday, employees arrived at their new store directly across Route 8.

Thursday also was the day of the store's grand opening. Center Township businessmen, politicians and longtime employees were on hand.

County Commissioner Leslie Osche cut the ribbon to officially open the store for business.

“We've been talking about building this place for a long time now,” said Joe Thieret, store manager. “Now we have this beautiful store.”

Thieret has been with Rite Aid for 22 years and managed the Clearview Mall location for 17 of those years.

Some of his employees have been working at Rite Aid for nearly 30 years.

“We shut down the mall location yesterday,” he said.

The new building is 14,500 square feet, significantly bigger than the mall's location. This has let the store to expand selections, Thieret said. The store added health and wellness sections as well as increased seasonal offerings.

“We're very excited for our new building,” he said. “We have much more variety of merchandise.”

Dr. Ronald Flatt, Center Township supervisor, said he is glad to see Rite Aid expanding.

“This is roomy,” Flatt said. “We're really excited to see Rite Aid and Sheetz expand.”

He said he is hopeful that the new building will draw customers to the area and to other stores around the area.

The building was financed by NexTier Bank.

The pristine store is still surrounded by signs of construction and crews and construction vehicles are still close by as they finish the neighboring Sheetz gas station and convenience store.

The new Sheetz is slated to open in next month.