Site work is expected to begin this summer on a large Harris Teeter grocery store on Carolina Beach Road.

The 76,000-square-foot store, to be built in the 3800 and 3900 blocks of Carolina Beach Road, is set to open by early 2019 if all goes according to plans, said developer Dean Scarafoni.

"We’re excited about it. It’s going to be the largest Harris Teeter in the state and have a lot of new features that we haven't seen in Wilmington," said Scarafoni, president and founder of Live Oak Development Company.

The store will be the anchor of a new commercial center, The Crossroads at Independence, which will also include two 8,000-square-foot retail buildings for multiple tenants and a 14-pump Harris Teeter fuel station, according to plans.

A rezoning for the 27-acre project granted by Wilmington City Council in October also allows for two outparcels with 10,000 square feet of retail and a 5,000-square-foot fast food restaurant with a drive-through.

Once construction starts, the project is expected to take about 18 months to complete, Scarafoni said.