Construction work is in full swing at a beverage outlet along Blakeslee Boulevard in Lehighton.

Mason’s Cold Beer Too, at 101 Blakeslee Blvd. Drive East, is making progress, according to Todd Mason.

Mason said last week that the framing is complete on the building, and the metal roof has been added.

He said they will work on the rest of the metal siding, then the rough openings for the doors and windows in the next week or so, and then look to do some of the concrete work inside and the permanent doors and windows the week after that.

“We’re real happy with the early start we got this year; the weather has cooperated so far, it’s been a good working environment over there,” Mason said. “There was a lot of site work that needed to be done with the project, but we’re ahead of schedule for the year, and feeling really good about this.

“We’re just looking forward to getting the place open. Our goal is to get the beer store open.

“We would love to be open by the Fourth of July, but that might be just too much wishful thinking. We definitely will be open by Labor Day.”

Mason thanked Lehighton Borough Council, the borough solicitor, former borough engineer Bruce Steigerwalt, code enforcement, and all the utility department heads such as electric, water and sewer departments for their cooperation.

“We’ve done really well with them, and everything with them has worked out really well,” he said.

The plan calls for a new two-unit building constructed on roughly one acre west of Advance Auto. The location had been used by a farm stand.

It will be a 52-by-152-foot building, half of which would be a beverage center (beer store), and the other half potentially wine and spirits, Mason said.

“We are trying to attract the wine and spirits store to come along and occupy our building,” he said. “We are looking to attract a complementary business, something the area doesn’t have, something new.”

Mason added, “We do operate next to the Wine and Spirits store in Tamaqua and Jim Thorpe, and it’s a great mix. And yes, we are trying to accommodate them in a new lease on our property.”