Dollar General advances new Knottsville store, permits issued for KY 144 site

Dollar General’s new Knottsville store moved another step forward after officials issued a building permit for the KY 144 site, a concrete sign that the project has moved beyond planning and into construction prep. The permit, issued April 27, calls for a 10,640-square-foot mercantile building on a 1.653-acre parcel at 9340 KY 144, with an estimated construction cost of $1.38 million.

For Dollar General employees in western Kentucky, that paperwork matters because it usually comes before the hiring push. A new store can create openings for sales associates, lead sales associates, assistant store managers and a store manager, along with transfer opportunities for workers who want to move closer to home or step into a different store environment.

The Knottsville project also passed another key milestone in early March, when the Owensboro Metropolitan Planning Commission approved a Final Development Plan for a retail sales business tied to the site. Project documents identify the development as a Dollar General store, placing the Daviess County location firmly on the company’s map of rural expansion.

That local move fits Dollar General’s broader real-estate plan for fiscal 2026. The company says it expects about 4,730 real-estate projects this year, including roughly 450 new U.S. stores, about 10 new stores in Mexico, around 2,000 Project Renovate remodels, about 2,250 Project Elevate remodels and roughly 20 relocations. Dollar General says most new U.S. stores will be in rural communities and will mostly use an 8,500-square-foot format, a sign that Knottsville is part of a larger push into smaller markets like this one.

Dollar General also says new stores bring local jobs and employee-development opportunities. In its 2025 corporate social responsibility report, the company said new stores created more than 4,600 jobs last year. On its careers page, Dollar General lists a retail ladder that runs from Sales Associate to Lead Sales Associate, Assistant Store Manager, Store Manager, District Manager and Regional Director, with store managers responsible for recruiting, hiring, training, scheduling and overall operations.

The new store could also tighten competition for labor in the area as Dollar General, nearby retailers and grocery employers draw from the same pool of workers. A Kentucky Lantern report citing USDA research said dollar stores can pressure independent grocers and other small businesses in rural communities, which is why the Knottsville store will be watched closely by shoppers, competitors and employees alike as construction advances.