March 13th, 2007 4:09 PM

Surf City to get a Harris Teeter
Grocery will anchor new center across street from Lowe's store

By Tyra M. Vaughn,
Staff Writer

Lowe's Home Improvement in Surf City soon will have a new neighbor.

A Harris Teeter grocery store is scheduled to be built off U.S. 17 and N.C. 210 across the street from the national retail hardware chain store, said Surf City Mayor Zander Guy.

The approximately 54,000-square-foot facility will be the anchor store for an 82,000-square-foot shopping center. There will be 12 other retail stores, with 7,500 square feet available for expansion within the first year.

Guy said several retail chains expressed interest in coming to the Surf City area.

"We've gotten inquiries from Bojangles, Wal-Mart and some of the large drugstore chains, but we haven't gotten any commitments," he said. "We're also working with Cape Fear Community College to get a physical Surf City branch in the area, but it's not a done deal."

Construction of the Harris Teeter won't begin for some time, Guy said. The groundbreaking for the shopping center most likely will take place in the latter part of 2008 or in 2009.

"Harris Teeter isn't going to happen overnight," Guy said. "It's going to be an almost three-year process before this store will open."

Harris Teeter is an upscale grocery store chain based in Matthews. It has approximately 155 stores throughout North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee and Florida, including six in Wilmington.

The company did not respond to an e-mail request for comment.

Guy said Harris Teeter's presence in the town will not only increase and strengthen its tax base, but also will add about 50 jobs to the community.

The promise of new jobs is what earned the town a $302,450 N.C. Rural Economic Development Center Inc. grant to help with the shopping center's construction.

The rural center awards state grants to smaller towns to help fund projects that will lead to a region's economic growth. State Sen. R.C. Soles, D-Columbus, and state Rep. Carolyn Justice, R-Pender, helped the town receive the grant.

"Sen. Soles and Rep. Justice have shown an outstanding commitment to Surf City by helping us get this award," Guy said.

The grant money will be used to connect the center to the town's water and sewer system.

Tyra M. Vaughn: 343-2070
tyra.vaughn@starnewsonline.com

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