After more than a year, A Lot of Flowers is back on its lot, but with a few more modern conveniences.

Owner Penny Ferguson planned to reopen her business in the new corner building at Harris Avenue and 11th Street in Fairhaven on Saturday, Feb. 9. The building also will be home to Fat Pie Pizza and a second Rocket Donuts. Those are scheduled to move in during the spring.

The first priority was to get A Lot of Flowers into the new building before Valentine's Day, a busy time for the flower shop, said Teri Treat, a spokeswoman for Rocket Donuts. The flower shop has resided in a nearby space during construction.

"We know it has been disruptive, so we appreciate the patience of Penny and the neighbors," Treat said. "Overall, the project has gone well."

A Lot of Flowers has existed for about 27 years, and people became familiar with its open-air setup with one small structure so customers could avoid the rain. Now that it is moving into a building, it has hot and cold running water, heat, and air conditioning.

"We're really excited about the new space. It has a lot of windows so there will be plenty of natural light," Ferguson said. "We were able to work with Pearson Construction and Rocket Properties to get the space just the way we've wanted. We want to capture some aspects of the old place, but with some nice, modern furnishings."

Ferguson said the flower shop will continue to have many of the items it has had for years, including annuals and herbs. Store hours will be 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

With the flower shop in place, attention now turns to the other two tenants. Treat said they plan to open Rocket Donuts by May 1, with the Fat Pie Pizza opening a little later, possibly before Ski to Sea weekend.

Along with doughnuts, Rocket will feature Acme Ice Cream. Acme will offer about 12 locally made flavors. The 25-foot rocket sculpture will remain at the Rocket Donuts' downtown location.

The pizza place will offer a rooftop deck and other outdoor seating. Treat said the restaurant will have a to-go menu, but will also offer a warm, intimate place to sit down and eat. Tim Mindnich will be director of management at the restaurant, and Gabe Tucker is handling general manager duties for Rocket Donuts and Acme Ice Cream.

FARM EQUIPMENT STORE MOVES INTO BIGGER SPACE

TJ Equipment, which buys and sells agricultural and light-industrial equipment as well as commercial trucks, recently moved to a larger location several miles south of Lynden.

Owned by Fred and Brenda Tjoelker, TJ Equipment is now on a 4.5-acre site at 6873 Guide Meridian, just south of the Pole Road roundabout. The new space is about 50 percent larger than the previous facility on Duffner Drive and has better visibility, said Fred Tjoelker.

TJ Equipment offers a variety of agricultural equipment, including tractors, balers, forage harvesters, mowers and irrigation systems. It sells light-industrial and material-handling equipment such as excavators, loaders and blades, plus commercial trucks, vans and trailers.

TJ Equipment also accepts items for sale on consignment. All equipment and vehicles are inspected before being offered for sale.

TJ Equipment is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. When spring arrives, it also will be open 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays. Details: 360-815-1597 or TJequipmentLLC.com.

OTHER TIDBITS

• According to a Facebook post, The Woods Coffee is aiming for a mid-March opening of its new drive-through café on Lakeway Drive, near Fred Meyer.

• A liquor license application has been filed with the state for a new Birch Bay eatery called Vonna's Purple Fin Restaurant at 4823 Alderson Road, near The C Shop. The applicants are Vonna and Timmy Rushing.

• Don and Sonia Seutz have applied for a liquor license to open a restaurant called California Tacos & Fresh Juices at 4260 Cordata Parkway, Suite 108, near Whatcom Community College.

• A Mattress Depot USA store is going into the former Love Zone space on Meridian Street. It's the 20th store for the company; all of them in Western Washington.

Reach DAVE GALLAGHER at dave.gallagher@bellinghamherald.com or call 715-2269. Visit his business blog online at blogs.bellinghamherald.com/business or get updates on Twitter at twitter.com/BhamHeraldBiz.