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SAN JOSE — Sprouts Farmers Market is eyeing a new store in East San Jose at the site of a former Safeway supermarket.

The new Sprouts would be located at 1771 E. Capitol Expressway in the Silver Creek Plaza retail complex and would be one of three anchor stores at a site that includes Orchard Supply Hardware and a Walgreens drug store.

“In general, San Jose is under-retailed,” said Kim Walesh, San Jose’s director of economic development. “That part of San Jose can use new grocery-store offerings.”

The old Safeway space totals roughly 40,000 square feet, according to a marketing brochure for Silver Creek Plaza circulated by Weingarten Realty, the shopping center’s Houston-based owner. The brochure suggested that Sprouts was focusing on occupying 30,000 square feet in the old Safeway space. The shopping center is near the corner of East Capitol Expressway and Aborn Road.

“It’s our policy not to speak on behalf of retailers,” said Carrie Murray, a Weingarten Realty spokeswoman.

Phoenix-based Sprouts didn’t have another San Jose site on its list of new stores planned for openings through the end of June 2018. The company said through a spokeswoman that it doesn’t comment about stores that aren’t formally announced as a new location.

However, an official notice filed in connection with the future Sprouts stated that SF Markets, operating as Sprouts Farmers Market, was seeking approval to sell beer and wine at the East Capitol Expressway location.

“The site was previously a Safeway grocery store, and Sprouts is looking to move into the space,” Genevieve Singh, a spokeswoman for the San Jose city planning department, said in comments emailed to this news organization.

The Safeway store closed after a storm in 2014 triggered a partial collapse of the supermarket’s roof. Safeway never re-opened the market after the roof damage.

A visit to the site revealed that considerable work would have to be done inside the vacant store prior to a tenant moving in.

“In speaking with the applicant, we understand that the physical construction probably won’t be started until the alcohol license is reviewed,” Singh said.

Over the 12 months that ended in October, Sprouts posted a profit of $135.8 million on revenue of $4.51 billion.

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Wells Fargo plans new downtown San Jose branch At present, Sprouts has approximately 15 stores in the Bay Area, including three operating in San Jose.

“San Jose is really looking for that kind of natural food, and diverse offerings at good price points, that Sprouts provides,” Walesh said. “Sprouts is a great fit for San Jose.”