AFTER months of development, shoppers were finding their way around the aisles of the new Maxi Foods store in Redan yesterday.The new premises includes a 3000sqm supermarket and seven specialty stores, including a pharmacy.Yesterday's opening was a long time coming for Maxi Foods and Australian Trade Merchants and Co managing director Brendan Blake, who described the new complex as a "very special store"."It is absolutely fantastic; this store is very large, and we've had customers everywhere in here, it's just unbelievable," Mr Blake said.He said the opening came as a relief, after a three-year battle to get the store up and running.Ballarat City Council originally granted the developers a permit to build the new supermarket, before an objection was lodged.But the fight ended in January this year, with the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal upholding Ballarat City Council's permit, giving the project the green light.Mr Blake praised construction company H Troon Pty Ltd for their swift work and their quality."They were just brilliant," he said.It is expected at least 100 jobs will be created by the new store.Meanwhile, the Creswick Plaza will be demolished in the next week, with work to begin on the new Bunnings store.The store will be built on the same site and will become one of the largest regional stores in Australia.The development will create 40 permanent jobs, and a further 75 people will be employed during the 18-month construction period.