EDENTON — A longtime effort to bring a second full-service grocery store to Edenton has reached another milestone, with Carlie C’s IGA signing a lease at Edenton Village Shopping Center on North Broad Street.

The Town of Edenton’s recent announcement comes as the shopping center continues its redevelopment, with signage for a Domino’s Pizza also going up at the property.

On Tuesday, the town announced that Carlie C’s has signed a lease with the shopping center at 1316 N. Broad St. The town also confirmed that it has entered into an incentive agreement with the grocery chain and is working with Chowan County to finalize the interlocal agreement governing the project.

The announcement represents a significant step beyond the preliminary negotiations and government approvals that have occupied local officials for much of the year.

The Albemarle Observer previously reported that Edenton Town Council unanimously approved a performance-based economic development incentive agreement in July to help bring Carlie C’s to the former Food Lion location.

The proposed incentive package would provide up to $1 million over five years, with the town and county each contributing as much as $500,000.

Under the arrangement described during earlier public meetings, the retailer and shopping center owner would fund renovations and other investments upfront. Incentive payments would not begin until the store had opened, operated for at least 12 months and satisfied performance requirements.

During a September meeting, Chowan County commissioners continued discussing safeguards for the county’s proposed contribution, including how officials could verify the economic benefits generated by the new store.

The town’s latest announcement indicates that the project has advanced, although details of the final interlocal agreement have not yet been released.

A long-awaited grocery store

The former Food Lion space has been vacant since the grocery chain relocated to Virginia Road in 2016.

The Observer previously reported that Food Lion continued leasing the former location until late 2020, complicating efforts to recruit another grocery retailer.

Economic development officials have spent more than a decade working to bring another full-service supermarket to Edenton.

Carlie C’s, a regional grocery chain with more than 30 North Carolina locations, operates stores in Washington, Chocowinity and Tarboro.

The chain is known for its full-service meat departments, in-house butchers, scratch-made bakery products and deli offerings.

The grocery store is expected to serve as an anchor for Edenton Village, where Tractor Supply opened in late 2025.

Additional businesses showing interest

The grocery store announcement comes amid signs of additional commercial activity at Edenton Village.

Signage for a Domino’s Pizza is going up at the shopping center, although an opening date and additional details about the location have not been confirmed.

The development is consistent with earlier statements from town officials that securing a grocery store could encourage other retailers to commit to the property.

During the July Town Council meeting, Town Manager Corey Gooden said the shopping center’s leasing agent had identified additional retailers waiting for the grocery store lease to be finalized before moving forward.

Officials previously estimated that the grocery redevelopment alone would involve more than $4 million in private investment.

The Town of Edenton has not announced an opening date for Carlie C’s or provided a construction timetable.

In its latest announcement, the town said additional information would be released as the project moves forward.