White & Sons grocery store chiefs are holding talks with Southside developers over a possible new outlet, The Royal Gazette can reveal.

If the contract is signed it will see the region snag a major grocery store, a coup for the commercial and residential development on the former US naval base in St. David's as well as the entire east end of the Island.

And White & Sons would expand their market reach to cover the entire Island with the long-term lease of the site.

A White & Sons spokesman confirmed the proposal was "in the middle'' stages of negotiations but would say nothing else.

Owners of the store Gary and Michael White are off the Island and did not return a telephone call to their United States hotel room by Press time last night.

And Bermuda Land Development Company spokesman Don Grearson declined to comment.

Once finalised, it is understood the doors of the new shop would not open to customers for at least another seven or eight months.

This would coincide well with the final band of residents moving into the houses being renovated in the development nearby.

Several families will move in as soon as October, followed by more in March and May next year.

Dozens of businesses have also shown interest in the development including take away outlet Runway International which opened recently.

The site under consideration for the grocery store is believed to be the same building that was used to supply groceries to customers when the baselands still housed US naval operations before the military men moved out.

Don Grearson