Workers with H and H Structural Contracting prepare to lift the final monorail onto the track at Jungle Jim's in Eastgate Feb. 2. From left are Mike Vaccariello and Bob Allgood.

Workers with H and H Structural Contracting prepare to lift the final monorail onto the track at Jungle Jim's in Eastgate Feb. 2. From left are Mike Vaccariello and Bob Allgood.
Construction workers with H and H Structural Contracting lifted and secured the last monorail car into place on top of the railway connected to the Jungle Jim’s sign in Eastgate Feb. 2.

The monorail cars, which came from Kings Island, now look like they came out of the jungle, with colorful paint and shadows of animals seated inside.

The monorail track reads “American Steel Workers,” and was created in honor of “Jungle” Jim Bonaminio’s father, who worked in the industry.

Phill Adams, director of development at Jungle Jim’s International Market in Eastgate said progress on the outside of the store has been slow at times because of the many days of rain this year.

But with clear, sunny skies, the day couldn’t have been better for working on the monorail and several passersby even stopped to watch the progress.

Adams said they get people who stop by nearly every day and some even travel from other areas to check out the new location. He said reality is beginning to set in that the store will actually open in the coming months.

The progress on the inside of the store is also steady. Walls and dividers are going up to separate sections of the store and crews are working to put final touches on renovating the former biggs to accommodate the gigantic market.

The store is getting closer to completion each day, and while Adams has always said they aren’t working on a specific deadline, he said they expect the grand opening will be sometime this summer.

“It took us 30 years to do the other one,” Adams said previously about the original Fairfield market. “Here we are opening a monster store at one time.”