Demolition work begun at Lewis Plaza
Demolition work has begun on the redesign of Lewis Plaza on Augusta Street, which will include a new 53,000-square-foot, two-story Harris Teeter grocery store.
Harris Teeter is once again entering the Greenville market after leaving several years ago. The company was purchased in January 2014 by Kroger Co. but maintains the Harris Teeter brand with headquarters in Matthews, N.C. Harris Teeter officials have said the new store will offer all of the amenities that a “super flag or high-end store” offers. A second-floor mezzanine area will have a sit-down wine bar with outdoor terrace seating.
First up in the Lewis Plaza redesign will be the construction of the new freestanding Wells Fargo building located at the corner of Lewis Drive and Augusta Street, said Paul Holder with Avtex Commercial, which owns and is redeveloping the shopping center. Construction on that building will begin this summer.
Construction on the plaza and the Harris Teeter grocery store are expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2017, he said.
Lewis Plaza, which opened in 1948, is considered to be the first shopping center in Greenville. Several businesses have occupied the plaza, most recently an antique store and Earth Fare grocery store where the new Harris Teeter will be.
In the redesigned Lewis Plaza, most of the current shop owners will remain, with their spaces getting a face-lift to match the new look of the plaza. The shops will remain open during construction. The Dollar General Store will be demolished along with the old post office, most recently a Shogun of Kyoto restaurant. Developers will make additional streetscaping improvements, including removing utility poles, along Aberdeen Drive, Augusta Street and Lewis Drive.
A new 5,000-square-foot space with an outdoor seating area will be available. Holder said they are negotiating with several restaurants, including national, local and regional chains, but haven’t signed anything yet.
Another 6,000-square-foot space will also be open to new tenants, and Avtex is looking for a “mixture of both local and national tenants that suit Augusta Road and its residents.”
