A long-anticipated Publix supermarket is finally turning dirt in Summerville’s Summers Corner development at 1612 Beech Hill Road.

First announced in January , the project generated new buzz Nov. 23 after the neighborhood posted the news on its Facebook page that the site is finally under construction. The post garnering 900 likes and more than 200 shares in just days.

A spokesperson for the Lakeland, Fla.-based grocer said the store expects to hire about 140 employees.

The Publix will be the anchor tenant for the new retail center, with plans calling for a 50,800-square-foot supermarket and eight 1,200-square-foot suites.

At full buildout, Summers Corner is expected to exceed 7,500 homes.

On a related note, Publix will mark its return to Daniel Island next Wednesday at 7 a.

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