This answer was updated April 20, 2011, with a link to a story saying the opening of the store is delayed.
The store might be opening in the first quarter of 2011.
While Carolina Farmin owner Wayne Long has not returned messages for several weeks seeking an update on this business, John Hinnant, executive director of Wilmington Downtown Inc., offered the latest news on the project during the second week of January 2011:
“I spoke to the landlord who said a CO (certificate of occupancy) was issued on the building, but once (Long’s) suppliers came in they changed his plans. They have ripped out all of the improvements, and they are finishing out the entire building as a full-service grocery as opposed to phasing in the project. Sometime in the first quarter.”
Long, who formerly owned the Red & White grocery store in Shallotte, had planned to open Carolina Farmin at 2101 Market St., Wilmington [Map this], in the former Port City Java headquarters, in mid-November 2010, Hinnant said.
The space was previously used as a grocery store by Parker’s and Food Folks, which closed earlier this decade. Hinnant earlier said the new store would employ about 40 part-time and full-time employees.
Related link:
Neighborhood markets behind schedule but moving toward opening
UPDATE: Work continues on grocery store near downtown
Former grocery store owner plans market near downtown
Date posted: January 18, 2011
User-contributed question by:
Kendra
and tiffany salter
Market Street at South 21st Street is not downtown by any stretch of the imagination. The Star News really needs to limit its use of “Downtown” to the central business district, which is roughly bounded by Ann Street, North and South 5th Avenue, Martin Luther King Parkway and the Cape Fear River. The area where the grocery store is to be located is called Carolina Heights.
I agree… Stop using “Downtown” so loosly. That is not in the downtown district at all.
it is in the historic district