Foodland Super Market Ltd. yesterday said it is ready to begin construction of a community shopping center anchored by one of its stores in Kapolei, after a nearly one-year delay largely to avoid poor economic timing.

The project, a joint venture of the local supermarket chain and a local development partnership led by Kim Scoggins and Mark Bratton, also could include a 10-story residential condominium as part of a future addition.

The 55,000-square-foot complex, called Kapolei Village Center, initially was announced two years ago, with construction projected to start last year for an opening early this year. Now the Foodland store is to open in spring 2011 next to five other buildings that will be built in phases as tenant space is leased.

Project officials held a groundbreaking ceremony at the site yesterday.

Kapolei Village Center will be a welcome addition to O'ahu's so-called Second City, providing more choice to area residents who for close to two decades have had only one supermarket at which to shop.

Kapolei's first and only major supermarket is Safeway, which opened as the area's first business in 1992 at the 134,000-square-foot Kapolei Shopping Center. A Costco opened last year, expanding grocery-shopping options in Kapolei.

"The community is so excited Foodland is coming," said Maeda Timson, chairwoman of the Maka- kilo/Kapolei/Honokai Hale Neighborhood Board.

"Foodland is such a local store. It's spreading the shopping experience out."

Jenai S. Wall, Foodland chairwoman and CEO, said the company is excited to become part of the growing community. "We're going to be sure we treat this community very, very well," she said.

Roger Wall, chief administrative officer of the chain, said construction was pushed back primarily because of last year's severe economic downturn, and that the expectation is that the store will open amid a rebounding economy.

The delay also positions the project to better coincide with development on neighboring land.

At present, the 4-acre Kapolei Village Center site is surrounded by large vacant parcels. To the south is the Mehana residential subdivision that's under construction. To the east is a mixed-use community planned by Brookfield Homes, with 150 to 400 homes. To the west is a site for a bus and rapid-transit station planned by the city.

An extension of six-lane Kapolei Parkway between Mehana and the Foodland project under way will connect Ko Olina with the 'Ewa Plain, while new entry and exit ramps to H-1 Freeway are under construction to provide more direct access to the site.

Scoggins added that development planned on surrounding land, which also includes office towers and a senior living campus, should move Kapolei's commercial core roughly to the Foodland site. "The area will grow and grow and grow, and as it does, this will become a more important commercial site," he said. "We think that this location is almost the center of the Second City of Kapolei."

"Our long-range plan and confidence in the Kapolei market will allow the project to be delivered during better economic times," Bratton added.

Scoggins and Bratton, who are brokers with local commercial real estate firm Colliers Monroe Friedlander, bought the site with Foodland from Brookfield for an undisclosed price.

Colliers is handling leasing and management of Kapolei Village Center, and is in advanced discussions with a fast-food restaurant, a yogurt store and saimin shop to lease space. There is room for nearly 20 tenants in the 20,000 square feet of lease-able retail space.

Foodland's 35,000-square-foot store will include The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, a cafe franchise owned by the supermarket chain.

The new store will be Foodland's 32nd. About 150 permanent jobs are expected to be created by the project.