When Lidl decided to enter the Wilmington market, Swain & Associates was tapped to develop their first store. After identifying a strategic site at Eastwood Road and Cavalier Drive, Swain successfully negotiated a purchase with the landowner who had turned down attempts by three other developers to acquire the property. For two years, Swain worked with the City of Wilmington, the North Carolina Department of Transportation, and Wilmington Metropolitan Planning Organization to develop a comprehensive plan for the site that

included: significant improvements to a coordinated median plan for Eastwood Road, the installation of a traffic signal at the intersection of Eastwood Road and Cavalier Drive, and the protection and preservation of a bluewater stream running through the site. The City Council unanimously approved the project, and Lidl opened its first Wilmington store on December 4, 2019. Swain retains approximately 3.5 acres adjacent to the site earmarked for future development.