College Park is moving a step closer to opening a new alternative grocery store.

Demolition will begin soon on the old Clarion Inn building on Route 1, clearing the way for construction on the upcoming Lidl grocery.

The hotel at 8601 Baltimore Ave., which had been seen competition from newer chain hotels in the area, closed at the beginning of January.

There’s still no firm date on when the German chain (pronounced leedle) will open its College Park location, one of 100 stores planned along the East Coast as part of an ambitious $1.6 billion expansion into the U.S. market. Mayor Patrick Wojahn said it could come this year or next.

Lidl’s other stores in the greater D.C. area are in Virginia: Woodbridge, Fredericksburg and Manassas, with another to open in Ashburn in March.

But Lidl has canceled some planned store locations in recent months as it changed up its real estate strategy, so the demolition is good news that College Park will still make the cut.

Apart from being a beloved grocery chain in the vein of Trader Joe’s, Lidl is also expected to drive down prices in U.S. markets with its aggressive cost-cutting.

Support the Wire and Community Journalism
Make a one-time donation or become a regular supporter here.