According to a Lowe's spokeswoman, the home improvement center is going to be open for business starting Jan. 6, 2012.

Instead of the typical ribbon-cutting, Jaclyn Pardini, a spokeswoman with Lowe's, said they will hold a board-cutting to celebrate its opening, in addition to awarding a grant to a local organization which has yet to be named. She said more information on the opening would be available in coming weeks.

A new stoplight went up in front of the new building on Route 58 within the past week, signaling a near-completion, and Pardini said at the latest, the light will be operational at the store's grand opening.

Mark Smith, a spokesman with Suffolk County, said that "when it does become operational, the standard procedure is that the light will flash for a couple of days before full activation to green-yellow-red."

The project, situated at the site of the former Suffolk Life building and across the street from The Home Depot, broke ground in early spring. Though Lowe's announced in mid-October that it was closing 20 stores in 15 states - and canceling other projects, including one in Huntington - construction on the 104,000-square-foot building has continued to hum along.

Pardini said Lowe's will bring 125 jobs to town, the majority of which will be full-time.