A Chinese supermarket chain with zero existing U.S. locations is eyeing Denver for its American debut, according to city planning documents tied to a sprawling retail and hospitality project rising near Denver International Airport. One Plus One Supermarket has been identified as a possible anchor tenant for the proposed development at 18306 East 64th Avenue, where developers envision an Asian-themed marketplace built around fresh produce, live and fresh seafood, butchered meats, and specialty Asian foods.
The project, known as Tower Plaza, traces back to September 2024, when two LLCs tied to developers Kelly Chuong and Wu Mei Li purchased the 4.0-acre vacant parcel at the southwest corner of East 64th Avenue and Yampa Street for $3.4 million, buying it from an entity connected to Denver-based master developer L.C. Fulenwider Inc., according to Mile High CRE. As 9News reports, a planning letter submitted to the city describes the development as focused on bringing an Asian grocery store to the area, and concept plans show a proposed shopping center at 18306 East 64th Avenue.
What's Planned for the Tower Plaza Site
Urban design filings submitted to Denver show the roughly 40,000-square-foot Tower Plaza retail center would include two restaurants, with additional space planned for other uses, according to the Denver Business Journal. Plans indicate the project would combine retail and hospitality uses. Plans also include a four-story, 122-room Candlewood Suites hotel.
The retail and hospitality buildout is anticipated to be completed in 2028. The site is near Peña Boulevard and Yampa Street, and daily vehicle trips are projected to rise from about 500 to 4,290 under the commercial layout.
A Neighborhood Already Transforming
Tower Plaza isn't rising in isolation. Just down the road, discount grocer Aldi filed plans in July 2026 for a nearly 20,000-square-foot store at 18453 East 57th Avenue near Tower Road, part of a broader retail wave Hoodline previously detailed in its report on discount grocers muscling into the Peña Station corridor. United Airlines added another layer of economic momentum in August 2023, paying $33 million for 113 acres near 17671 East 64th Avenue to expand its Flight Training Center — a project that brought 240 direct jobs and a steady flow of corporate staff and airline trainees into the immediate area.
If One Plus One does land at Tower Plaza, it would enter a market that includes Aldi's planned store near Tower Road.
Growth Pressures and Open Questions
Developers are betting on Far Northeast Denver, where commercial projects are planned along the airport corridor.
At the same time, Colorado's grocery landscape faces real strain. Hunger-relief organizations reported this month that food insecurity across the state hit a 12-year high, driven by federal SNAP benefit reductions and sustained grocery inflation, Hoodline reported in its coverage of food banks straining under SNAP cuts. The Adams County Emergency Food Bank registered 3,400 new people since January. Whether that pressure shapes pricing or demand at a future specialty grocer remains unclear.
One Plus One is identified as a possible grocery tenant for Tower Plaza.
