THE operators wanting to run a supermarket in Baranduda have revealed they have been eyeing off the proposed development site for about a decade.
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The landowners and developers, Nordcon, want the site located on the corner of Verbena Street and Arnica Circuit re-zoned from residential to mixed use for the project estimated to cost up to $2 million.
Mr Cook, Mr Ried and Lauren Pietila and Bert Eastoe from Nordcon fronted a community forum yesterday to hear views of Baranduda residents.
"We're hopeful of getting the feeling the community is supportive of it," Mr Cook said.
"With any locally run supermarket we need the local support to make it all viable.
"We've been looking at this site for about 10 years now.
"The community had to realise a critical mass of residents to support a business like this."
Mr Cook's first venture into North-East supermarkets was when he and his wife Karen bought the Mount Beauty FoodWorks supermarket in 2000.
The land identified to be rezoned is 5206 square metres with the supermarket building to include up to 1000 square metres of retail area.
If approved, there are plans to create 15 to 20 full-time equivalent jobs and will be slightly larger than the Yackandandah supermarket.
"What we're really proud of in the community we already operate in is the program we have for developing and training staff members," Mr Cook said.
"This business gives junior community members their first experience in the workplace.
"It is a pretty significant investment."
Mr Cook and Mr Ried bought into the Rutherglen IGA supermarket with one of the existing owners.
"It is a pretty significant investment in the local community," he said.
Ms Pietela said the rapidly growing Baranduda area was ready for a supermarket.
"With everything else happening here Baranduda deserves a supermarket," she said.
The proposed supermarket site is located near the Baranduda primary school, general store and sporting facilities.
More than 30 people took the opportunity to meet Mr Cook and Mr Ried and developers at the information session held at the Baranduda Community Centre.
Traffic management issues were raised with Wodonga Council to re-visit the supermarket proposal in the first half of 2020.
