The Safeway on the corner of High Street and Elgin Boulevard shut for the final time at 6pm.

It is set to be replaced on the site by a $20 million shopping centre featuring a 4000-square-metre Woolworths supermarket, 12 specialty stores and office suites.

Wodonga accountant Jesse McInerney was looking forward to the development.

“I reckon it’s about time they did something in the middle of town here, for sure,” he said.

“I think it will revitalise the middle of Wodonga, we’ve needed something going on here for awhile.

“It will make it better once they’ve got the Mann development as well, it will all tie in together.”

A Woolworths spokesman said construction on the new supermarket would be completed by mid-2017. 

The new structure would have an atrium entrance feature on the High Street-Elgin Boulevard intersection, replacing the current vacant block and car park.

The Mann Central Shopping Centre is planned diagonally opposite the new Woolies building, which would include a full-line Coles supermarket.

Mr McInerney would not miss the old Safeway, which he had been going to since he was young.

“It’s looked pretty ugly for awhile, let’s be honest,” he said.

“I reckon there’s a lot of people who go to Albury to shop instead of Wodonga.”

But Mr McInerney thought the opening of Mexican restaurant Zambreros on High Street added to the amenity. 

“In all honesty, I think the council’s stuffed it up a little bit in terms of what they’re trying to do with High Street with the traffic flow and so on,” said.

“But it’s getting there, they’ve done well with Junction Place, I went to a wedding there not long ago.”

Fellow Wodonga resident Tracy Whitehead stressed her city needed a focal point for shopping and retail.

“Anything that assists in the beautification of this area is going to attract people eventually,” she said.

“I guess all growth for Albury-Wodonga is potentially good.”

Similarly to Mr McInerney, Ms Whitehead said the demolition of the existing brick structure was “not going to break my heart”.

Just before closing at 6pm, shoppers all day had bought reduced items, clearing the shelves to a bare minimum.

Shopper Liz Miller said the redevelopment was very much overdue.

“It’s taken a long time,” she said.

“I like to support Wodonga but it’s taken a long time.

“But Wodonga really does need it, it needs something.”