Harbor Freight Tools plans to open a new store in the Fort Dodge building that once housed OfficeMax.

The company’s plan became public Tuesday during a city Board of Adjustment meeting at which some sign issues related to the new store were considered.

Harbor Freight Tools sells power and hand tools, tool chests, generators and air compressors. It also offers lighting, electrical, welding, automotive, plumbing and lawn and garden supplies.

Headquartered in Calabasas, California, the company has about 1,200 stores. It was established in 1977.

The opening date for the store has not been announced.

No one from the company addressed the Board of Adjustment Tuesday.

The board approved the installation of two monument style signs for the building at 2950 Fifth Ave. S.

One of those signs will be on Fifth Avenue South; the other will be along South 29th Street.

Each of them will be about 11 feet tall. In addition to the Harbor Freight Tools name, each sign will have space for the name of a second business that will occupy part of the building. That business has not been publicly named yet.

The board rejected a request for larger than allowed wall signs on the building.

In the commercial zone where the building is located, a maximum of 177 square feet of wall signs is allowed. The company requested 504 square feet

Commission member Troy Anderson was absent from both otherwise unanimous votes.

The building was constructed in 1998 for OfficeMax. The local OfficeMax store closed on Nov. 14, 2020.

The building is owned by Multi Housing Partners of West Des Moines, according to online records of the Webster County Assesor’s Office.