It's been eight months since a banner first hung outside the old Staples store building on Hatch Road heralding the "coming soon" of Ross Dress for Less.

The banner no longer hangs but it appears that interior work is being done to equip the inside of the store. Construction trucks have regularly been seen outside the store.

Steve Hallam, the city's economic development manager, said he was told by Deborah Willard, the leasing agent for the Ceres Marketplace , that Ross was planning to open sometime between February and April.

Attempts to reach the chain and the shopping center management proved unsuccessful.

The former Staples store space has been vacant - except for a seasonal use as a Halloween costume store - since its closure on June 28, 2014.

The national clothing chain has been around for 30 years and has grown to approximately 1,300 stores. Ross is affiliated with dd's discounts, which opened in Ceres in 2014.

"It's a nice move up in our apparel retailers in our city, and appeals to a very broad audience or base of consumers and would be a great addition to the Ceres retail market," said Steve Hallam, the city's Economic Development manager.

Hallam said last year he sent "cold call" emails to about 11 national retailers after Staples closed in an attempt to recruit a business to fill the space. Ross was one of those he contacted but he can't say for sure if his email is what triggered the retailer's interest in Ceres.