Meridian’s retail shoppers may soon have a little more variety when a new strip mall containing a shoe store, a women’s clothing store and an electronics store opens in Meridian.

The shopping center, which has been in the works for about a year, will be developed by Store Front Development, which has offices in Lafayette, La., and Dallas. Cameron Cope, the company’s president and owner, was in Meridian with developers on Monday to review site plans for the property located between Backyard Burgers and the future site of the new Wal-Mart SuperCenter on Highway 19 North.

“My customers like to locate their stores near Wal-Mart SuperCenters, and I seek out property that is adjacent to Wal-Mart sites,” Cope said.

The strip mall also will contain a dollar store, a check-cashing store, a mobile-phone retailer, a nail salon and hopefully some locally owned shops, Cope said.

Cope would not release names of retailers because the companies have not yet signed leases. He said he expects construction on the strip mall to begin in late spring or early summer.

The strip mall will be located near the corner of Highway 19 South and the newly constructed River Birch Drive. The property where the strip mall will be located is owned by River Birch Development. John Reeves is a partner in River Birch Development, and his wife, Cathy, owns Backyard Burgers.

Cope said Store Front Development owns 18 strip malls in six sates.