LIHUE, Kauai — Safeway’s Property Development Centers broke ground on Kauai Wednesday for the 22nd Safeway store in the islands.
Hokulei Village shopping complex lies on 14.25 acres at the corner of Nuhou Road and Kaumualii Highway in Lihue.
A 56,000-square-foot Safeway Lifestyle store is the anchor tenant of the 14.25-acre complex. The supermarket will join a Walgreens pharmacy, a Petco pet supply store, a Jack in the Box restaurant, a Chevron fuel station, a major financial institution, and other retail and commercial entities.
Safeway Hawaii district manager George Glukfeld said the store should create 175 or more full-time and part-time jobs.
Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. welcomed the development, which will house the second Safeway on Kauai.
“Safeway has been a long-time corporate supporter of our community. They’re a wonderful partner,” the mayor said.
Safeway and PDC are gratified by the strong support shown by the County of Kauai, and by the public and retailers, said Gerry Wolfe, vice president for Development with Property Development Centers, a Safeway affiliate.
Installation of underground infrastructure will begin following the groundbreaking. Vertical construction should start this summer. The Safeway store is scheduled to open in November of this year, with other tenants opening shortly thereafter.
The project will include buffer areas and setbacks from existing roads, and will preserve viewplanes to the scenic Haupu Range. The project will also connect to existing walkways throughout the area.
Hokulei is the name of a peak on the Haupu Range. It lies almost directly south of the site. It is also the Hawaiian name of a navigational star, Capella, the brightest star in the Auriga constellation.
The new Hokulei Village Safeway store will be an example of the national retailer’s Lifestyle Store concept. It will carry an expanded selection of regular and organic produce and will showcase Safeway’s Select, Signature and O Organics brand products along with several specialty departments, making it a one-stop shopping experience for customers.
