Lidl began demolition on their 7.5-acre parcel from 122 to 162 N. DuPont Highway in Dover. The company did not share the timeline for the construction of their new store. (Delaware State News/Ian Gronau)

DOVER — German discount supermarket chain, Lidl, has started demolition on the long-vacant stretch of U.S. 13 in Dover they purchased last year. Lidl closed on the $3.4 million purchase of the roughly 7.5 acre parcel from 122 to 162 N. DuPont Highway in October.

Presumably preparing the site for future development, the company demurred when it came to specifics.

“It is too early to offer specific details and a timeline for this site,” said Chandler Ebeier, a Lidl spokesperson. “Our main criteria for store locations is selecting sites that will be most convenient for customers. We look forward to continuing our expansion in Delaware and opening more stores in the future.”

Lidl’s first, and only other, Delaware location opened in Middletown in August 2017.

Lidl submitted a demolition permit several weeks ago and tore down the empty building — formerly a Chinese food restaurant — on site late last week. Several “questions” need to be resolved before the company’s official site plan is approved, several dependent on the site demolition, according to Dover planning director Dave Hugg.

Capital Station shopping center, currently under construction on the U.S. 13 and East Division Street intersection will host an Aldi — also a German discount supermarket chain and one of Lidl’s direct competitors. That store is expected to open in the next few months.

Site plan?

Lidl developers originally applied for a site plan to build a 36,185-square-foot grocery store at the recently purchased location in July 2016.

However, the grocery chain revised the plan last March to include construction of two new buildings — one being a smaller Lidl store than originally planned.

The new plan called for a 25,400-square-foot building, which would be the grocery store, as well as another 7,500-square-foot building that has a proposed use as a retail space.

Lidl is one of the largest retailers in the world, operating nearly 10,000 stores in 27 countries throughout Europe.

The company established its U.S. corporate headquarters in Arlington County, Virginia, in 2015 and is planning an aggressive expansion in the United States market, according to multiple reports.

Brandon Proctor, president and CEO of Lidl US, has said the stores will be different than traditional American stores.

“We look forward to introducing American consumers to a different type of shopping experience,” Mr. Proctor has said. “Our philosophy is simple: we are focused on offering customers top quality products at the most competitive pricing in convenient locations. We plan to build on the foundation that has made Lidl so successful in Europe, while creating a unique experience for American consumers that will be unlike anything else on the market.”

Ribbon-cutting

• The Grill at Eagle Creek — the “family-friendly restaurant” hosted a ribbon cutting at their location at the Eagle Creek Golf Course near the Dover Air Force Base on April 13. The Grill currently offers plated meals for breakfast and lunch 7 days a week and dinner service on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday nights. For more information, visit doverafb436fss.com/the-grill or call 302-677-6038.

Business News:

• Chesapeake Utilities names new accounting officer — Chesapeake Utilities Corporation announced the appointment of Michael Galtman to the position of vice president and chief accounting officer in the company’s finance and accounting department.

Did we miss something? Let us know about local business happenings by contacting staff writer Ian Gronau at 741-8272 or newsroom@newszap.com.