Hope in store for old North Charleston's dearth of grocery stores (Updated)

(Updates at the bottom.)

In early 2009 there was much excitement about a proposed development near Park Circle, not only did it promise to make better use of 48 acres of land it would, gasp, bring a grocery store to North Charleston's neck area.

Alas, it never quite got going and the circa-2005 dearth of North Charleston grocery stores was to persist. 

While many parts of the county (West Ashley, Mount Pleasant we're looking at you, especially thanks to the Trader Joe's news) have an abundance of stores, those living in the Park Circle and neck areas of North Charleston must drive miles to reach a store — a particular hindrance when one must add bus or taxi cost to the food bill.  

So it was with some excitement that a Save-a-lot opened in North Charleston, but The Post and Courier's Melanie Balog is saying that's not enough and that city leaders agree.

She writes that while the here and now is painful there is hope in a site city leaders are prepping.

Check out her column here for details.

Update January 30: It's been a year-and-a-half and residents of old North Charleston still have no grocery store option.

Hopes still remain high that Shipwatch Square could be a home for a centrally located grocery but that possibility still remains in the mid-term future, and The Post and Courier has talked with grocery chain operator and consultant Jeffrey Brown who says that any would be tenant of the location has an uphill battle in finding profitable customers and skilled employees — read the paper's report here.