GREENSBORO, N.C. — One step forward, and two steps back trying to fill a food desert in Greensboro.
Last February the city of Greensboro started working to bring a new Lidl grocery store downtown.
It was supposed to fill a need for fresh, affordable food in a part of town that could use it.
A missed deadline led to a major setback that's sinking the current plan.
Sue Schwartz is the city's planning director. She said the plot of land Lidl bought downtown is contaminated.
The site had many former uses including industrial, leaving chemicals in the ground, which makes the property unfit for a grocery store until it's cleaned up.
"I'm disappointed you knew this was going to be a win for a larger area than downtown and southeast Greensboro," Schwartz said.
City leaders are disappointed because the 3.4 acres of graveled property at the corner of South Elm street and West Gate City Blvd will stay just that, at least for now.
"The agreement is over," Schwartz said.
During the site inspection process, the Department of Environmental Quality found contamination at the site that could take up to three years to address. This came as a surprise to city leaders.
"We never thought this was going to happen we had done cleanup on the site so we had the understanding it was ready to develop with some small mitigations," Schwartz said.
Schwartz said Lidl is still interested, but the current agreement to get the grocery store open in 5 years has ended.
"We're talking through what will it take to move it forward," Schwartz said. "But we have to start thinking about plan B's If that doesn't work out."
It's frustrating for city councilwoman Goldie Wells. She represents the area classified as a food desert, one of more than a dozen in Guilford County.
"And it seems most were in certain zip codes and those in the eastern part," Wells said.
Lidl opened a Greensboro location on Pisgah Church Road in June.
'We just had a Lidl open across the street from another grocery store so you kind of get a little upset," Wells said. "Then we try to bring some equity. It looks like we’re getting top-heavy in the west and lean in the east."
Over the next two weeks, Schwartz said her team will work with the state to see how they can get the property in good standing.