LIHUE — Safeway said today it has completed purchase of the land for its Hokulei Village shopping complex between Lihue and Puhi and is going forward with development of a new Safeway Lifestyle store and surrounding retailers.

Sale of the property — a 22.8-acre commercial-zoned parcel at the corner of Kaumualii Highway and Nuhou Street owned by Grove Farm — was finalized last week.

A Class IV zoning permit for the project was approved by the Kauai Planning Commission last December.

In a statement, Safeway vice president for development Gerry Wolfe said the company is in negotiations with 14 tenants.

The anchor will be a 56,000-square-foot Safeway Lifestyle store, which will carry regular and organic products.

The store expects to employ 150 to 200 people. Safeway says the center as a whole should created more than 1,000 jobs.

"The purchase is an indication of Safeway's commitment to proceed with the development of this important retail project, and of our optimism about the future despite the state and the nation's current economic challenges," Wolfe said. "It speaks to the confidence we have in Hawaii and the Kauai marketplace."