Developer Eyeing Sanford for Hotel, Shopping Center

Urban Design Partners hopes to get approval from a local planning agency in Sanford to build a new shopping center and hotel. The 12.54-acre property off Kelly Drive could house a 45,000-square-foot grocery store, a four-story hotel and more. Sanford is 45 miles SW of Raleigh.

The land is located northeast of downtown Sanford. The Triangle Business Journal reports the application suggests a retail building of 11,000 square feet attached to the grocery store and a commercial out parcel on a 1.38-acre lot. Between the grocery store and the hotel, there will be more than 300 parking spaces.

Sanford is a growing town with a population above 32,000. It is known for its industrial center, as it is the largest producer of brick and pottery products in the United States. Caterpillar, 3M, Central Carolina Hospital, and Pentair are stationed in Sanford.