LEICESTER, N.C. (828newsNOW) — A Publix grocery store and retail complex could soon be coming to the Leicester community.

Publix Super Markets, Inc. has applied for a special use permit to build a 50,405-square-foot grocery store and 7,080 square feet of retail space, according to plans filed with Buncombe County. The project would span two structures with seven total units.

The application, submitted July 2, will go before the county Board of Adjustment on Oct. 8.

According to filings, the development would include a full-service grocery store offering fresh produce, meat, seafood, a bakery, deli, prepared foods, household staples, pharmacy services, beer and wine sales and online order pickup.

The adjacent retail space is designed for neighborhood-serving businesses such as coffee shops, restaurants, banks, wellness retailers or professional services. Publix said all tenants would be “family-oriented and non-noxious.”

The proposed site would be accessible from New Leicester Highway (N.C. 63) and Roberts Road/Hitching Post Lane, with planned improvements to secondary access points. Off-street parking will meet the minimum requirement of one space per 300 square feet of development.

Water and sewer connections would tie into existing Asheville city lines, with buffers of existing and planted vegetation to separate the property from nearby residences.

The Buncombe County Board of Adjustment outlined several conditions for approval, including subdivision of the property, securing a floodplain development permit, state environmental approvals and a master site plan that details lighting, landscaping, parking, retaining walls and easements.

Publix said the project aims to “strengthen local access to high-quality groceries and daily goods while supporting neighborhood-compatible retail uses.”

If approved, the store would operate during standard grocery hours, with efforts made to minimize traffic, lighting and noise impacts on surrounding neighborhoods.