By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

Alabaster economic development officials have seen considerable interest from “large box” retailers to fill a proposed new shopping center in the city, and are working to finalize tenants for the development.

State Sen. Cam Ward, R-Alabaster, who also is the executive director of the Alabaster Industrial Development Board, said the board has met with representatives from major retailers over the past few weeks.

“In two weeks, we are going to meet with (the) Aronov (development company) to recap where we stand on each one of those,” Ward said during a Nov. 1 interview. “We have several opportunities to move forward on. We are seeing success in some companies wanting to be in Alabaster.”

In October 2011, the Montgomery-based Aronov development company confirmed its plans to build the new 300,000-square-foot Alabaster Exchange shopping center adjacent to Alabaster’s Colonial Promenade south shopping center on U.S 31.

Construction plans call for the new shopping center to be about the same size as the south wing of the Colonial Promenade shopping center.

Ward and other city officials have been working with Aronov over the past few years to attract retailers not currently in the Birmingham metropolitan area’s Interstate 65 corridor.

Ward said some retailers who initially were interested in the development pulled their names from consideration because they have other stores in relatively close proximity to the proposed development.

“We have had some say they have other stores in the area, and they don’t want to compete with their own stores,” Ward said. “But we have several opportunities to attract businesses that, right now, may not be in the region.

“It’s a matter of determining what fits the best with Alabaster,” Ward added.

If constructed, the shopping center would be sandwiched between U.S. 31 and Old Highway 31 south of the current JC Penny department store and the Steak ‘n Shake restaurant.