Work starts on The Landing at Ocean Isle Beach

Construction started this month on The Landing at Ocean Isle Beach, a 65,000-square-foot shopping center that will be anchored by Lowes Foods grocery store, according to developers.

The complex, scheduled to open in May 2009, is being built at the corner of N.C. 179 and Ocean Isle Beach Road.

It will include a 42,000-square-foot Lowes Foods, 23,000 square feet of additional retail space and six outparcels on about 7.5 acres.

Construction has been split into two phases: 11,000 square feet of retail space will open at the same time as Lowes Foods and the rest will be built in phase two.

The developer, Crescent Retail, declined to name other tenants.

A public groundbreaking ceremony has been scheduled for July 31 at 11:30 a.m., and food from Lowes Foods and Barts Barbeque will be provided after the ceremony.

Developer Crescent Retail is a trademark of Crescent Resources, LLC, a Charlotte, N.C.-based land management and real estate development company with interests in 10 states. Crescent Resources is a joint venture between Duke Energy and Morgan Stanley Real Estate Fund.