German-based discount grocer Lidl's real estate affiliate, MGP Retail Consulting, has acquired a condominium interest in National Gateway I from The Meridian Group for $56.6M. The company will occupy most of the 217,500 SF building, which received permits Wednesday for an interior buildout of its third, fourth and fifth floors to include a food lab/test kitchen. The building will also receive a new entrance lobby, the Washington Business Journal reports. While company officials declined to comment on any actual transactions, they acknowledge that Lidl plans to expand into the US. Additionally, MGP Retail has registered a corporate address on Wilson Boulevard in Arlington. Lidl, which has more than 10,000 stores across Europe, plans to open at least 100 in the US, focusing on the East Coast. [WBJ]