Discount grocery store chain Aldi plans to build a store in Leland, according to site plans submitted to the town.

The proposed 19,000-square-foot store would be built at the corner of Ploof Road and U.S. 17.

“With the name and reputation they [Aldi] have on a national scale, we welcome them and are very pleased they selected Leland as one of their first stores [in the area],” said Gary Vidmar, the town’s economic and community development director, on Wednesday.

Founded in 1961 in Germany with current headquarters in Illinois, Aldi sells frequently purchased grocery and household items primarily under its exclusive brands, according to corporate marketing materials.

In recent months, developers have rolled out several proposals for new contenders in the Cape Fear region’s grocery store market. If all goes according to plan, Aldi competitor Lidl would operate a store at 1511 Eastwood Road, according to site plans that have been submitted to the city of Wilmington.

Aldi is on track to add about 500 stores over the next two years to its current U.S. inventory of 1,500, part of a $3 billion expansion that's in the works, according to a Jan. 23 Business Insider story.

Leland’s Technical Review Committee is expected to consider the Aldi site plans at its meeting Feb. 2. The 2.7-acre site’s zoning allows for a grocery store, Vidmar said.