Woodman’s Food Market celebrated its ground breaking ceremony Thursday at the former Spancrete site on the east side of Waukesha as community business and government leaders officially welcomed the new grocery store.

The 243,753-square-foot facility will be located at 1600 E. Main St. and plans currently include eight outlots that will be developed into future commercial uses.  The project will created 219 jobs and increase property values by $15 million.

The grocery story is expected to open in summer 2013.

The property at the former Spancrete site at East Main Street and Highway 164 was designated as being in blight by the Plan Commission in 2011.

The Waukesha Common Council earlier this year approved a $3.5 million pay-as-you-go tax incremental financing incentive for the company to locate in the city.

Woodman’s will invest the $3.5 million into the project. The city will reimburse the business from the increased taxes on the property.

Woodman’s has been in the grocery business for 90 years and represents three generations of the Woodman family, states a news release from the Waukesha County Business Alliance.  The company has been 100 percent employee owned since 1998 and has more than $1 billion in annual sales.  The Waukesha store will be its 15^th location, the release states.