AFTER MONTHS OF rumors–no, make it years–Meijer has signed a contract to purchase property to build a supercenter behind Lowes in Marquette Township.
The deal won’t be final until Meijer completes its due diligence phase, including site planning, road improvements, and municipal approvals. That likely could take up to a year.
Construction then takes another 12-14 months, which means, if the process works smoothly, Meijer could open its store in 2018.
Meijer supercenters are large–either 150,000 or 190,000 square feet. They’re combination department and grocery stores, with a drive-up pharmacy, a garden center, a fresh meat and seafood counter, a bakery, and in many stores, a gas station.
This new Meijer would compete directly with Walmart and Target, both of which are located less than a mile away. Super One is also just up the road.
The purchase agreement to build in Marquette County comes long after Meijer bought property for two other stores in the Soo and Escanaba. Those stores are expected to open in 2017.
Meijer had made it clear all along it planned to build in Marquette County, as well–it was just a matter of finding the right property.
The new Meijer site is not located within the proposed UP the Sky development. UP the Sky plans still call for an upscale mall, a hotel, and a convention center to be built there.
Meijer, which was founded in 1934, operates 223 stores throughout Michigan and the Midwest. Its headquarters is located in Walker, Michigan, near Grand Rapids.
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