By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

A Montgomery-based developer recently confirmed it plans to build a new 300,000-square-foot shopping center adjacent to Alabaster’s Colonial Promenade south shopping center.

The new shopping center will be named “Alabaster Exchange,” and will occupy about 35 acres near the Promenade’s J.C. Penny department store, said state Sen. Cam Ward, R-Alabaster.

“We just got confirmation on it last week. It’s definitely very exciting news,” Ward said Oct. 10. “There aren’t a lot of folks building developments like this right now.”

The new shopping center is being developed by the Montgomery-based Aronov company, and is scheduled to open in 2014, Ward said.

Ward said once completed, the Alabaster Exchange will be about the same size as the southern wing of the Promenade, which currently houses stores such as Target, Best Buy and J.C. Penny.

Because the Alabaster Exchange is in the early stages of development, Ward said he was unsure which retailers will locate to the new shopping center. However, he said the developers are targeting retailers “not currently in the I-65 corridor.”

“Basically, we are looking for someone who is not currently in the local market. We are looking for large-box type tenants,” Ward said. “The first stage was getting the land, so the next stage is starting to secure tenants.”

Ward said local officials have already been traveling to trade shows to recruit possible tenants.

“The businesses that do move in there are going to create jobs, and that’s what it is all about in this economy,” Ward said. “I think it’s a testament to the Alabaster leadership, and to the developer for having faith in our city and our economy.

“This is huge for the city of Alabaster,” Ward added.