A ground breaking ceremony was held Thursday morning at the site of Pleasanton's new Safeway store.
The 58,000-square-foot Safeway building planned on a 39-acre site by Valley and Bernal Avenues, will be larger than the one currently on Santa Rita Road.
The new store will incorporate the chain's "lifestyle concept," touting locally-grown produce, a large selection of wine and cheeses, as well as meat and seafoods.
In speaking about the design and vision for the new Safeway store, Mayor Jennifer Hosterman called it timeless and elegant.
"This says Pleasanton," she said. "This is going to be our new gateway to our lovely city."
Safeway's new building anchors an office and retail development planned for the site. The commercial and retail part of the project, which will take up 129,370 square feet, will include a pharmacy, a bank and a restaurant. Three drive-throughs also will be incorporated into those buildings. The office part of the development will include seven four-story buildings.
The project is being handled by Property Development Centers, a subsidiary of Safeway.
The development plan for the property was approved by the City Council in October with a . Councilmember Matt Sullivan voted against the plan.
