Lidl will anchor new retail project in Virginia Beach

In one of its first locations in Virginia Beach, German discount grocer Lidl will serve as the anchor tenant in a new retail center under development by Beach Development Group.According to the city of Virginia Beach,

Lidl will occupy 35,000 square feet at The Strand. The 10.6-acre, mixed-use retail center will be located at the intersection of Holland Road and Warwick Drive near Lynnhaven Parkway.

The project also has lined up Hardee’s and Christian Brothers Automotive as tenants.

Founded in 1940 in Germany, Lidl has expanded throughout Europe, America and beyond. Currently it has 10,000 stores in 27 countries, and plans to have as many as 150 stores in in the U.S., with the first to open by 2018.

The company has announced locations in Norfolk, Portsmouth and Richmond with a regional distribution center in Fredericksburg. The U.S. headquarters is located in Arlington. Some industry publications have said the company will create a total of 700 jobs in Virginia.

“Virginia Beach continues to appeal to global companies, and we welcome Lidl to our community,” Virginia Beach Economic Development Director, Warren D. Harris, said in a statement.

Beach Development Group, headed by Kathy Owens, is a small, woman-owned, certified business (SWaM) formed in 2006 to develop commercial properties in strategic areas. Owens announced the project last week, and said at that time that a grocery anchor tenant had closed on a 4.4-acre parcel, but she could not disclose the identity.