Retailer says first store opening there may be years away

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Meijer Inc. has confirmed the purchase of a potential store site in the Twin Cities market, although the company says it has no immediate plans to open a supercenter there.

The approximately 30-acre property is located at the northeast intersection of Highway 610 and Zane Avenue in the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Park, Minn.

“I can confirm Meijer has purchased property in Brooklyn Park,” Meijer senior director of communications Frank Guglielmi wrote in an email to The Grand Rapids Press, the newspaper reported. “However, it’s very early in the process and we currently have no set timeline for entering the Minneapolis market.”

A report in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal said Meijer has been seeking property in the Twin Cities for months, and has also shown interest in the nearby communities of Lakeville, Vadnais Heights and Lake Elmo.

Earlier this month the retailer revealed a capital expansion plan for the year that includes the investment of more than $400 million, and projects that will include the construction of nine new Meijer supercenters and the remodeling of 32 other outlets. “We will continue our process of slow, steady growth,” chief executive officer Hank Meijer said in a statement at the time. “This plan has allowed us to remain focused on our customers and team members, while growing our business and ensuring we continue to innovate in the marketplace.”

Last summer Meijer opened its first supercenters in Wisconsin, expanding its territory to six states. Two of the planned supercenter openings this year will be in Wisconsin, according to the company. Those stores will be located in the communities of Sussex and Waukesha.

Meijer currently operates 224 supercenters and grocery stores throughout Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin.