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No current lease for the Harden Street Save-A-Lot

No decision was made by the board on the future of the store, but they did vote to retain a commercial realtor specialist to evaluate the property.

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The Columbia Housing Authority's non-profit development board, CHAD, met Tuesday to listen to a presentation on the Save-A-Lot property.

The grocery store is part of the Celia Saxon shopping center was built by the non-profit CHAD, but according to the authority there is no current lease for the store.

"There is a misconception that we don't have a lot of groceries and that we are closing," the store's general manager Tim Waters said. 

Waters told the board he has plans for the property's future.

"We are in the process of purchasing the store from the Columbia Housing Authority to be an owner operator," Waters said. "Right now we are operating under the housing authorities banner. The housing authority is not in the business of running grocery stores, they are in the business of doing housing."

Waters said he hopes to take over the Save-A-Lot with investors. He started working in the store since May of this year and knows this is more than a food store for nearby communities.

"We are the neighborhood refrigerator," Waters said.

Especially for Hattie Martin. She lives right behind the store and is a regular.

"I can walk here, bring our little shopping buggy right here at the store and we really need this store," Martin said.

James Bradford also walks to the Save-A-Lot and said without it, it would be much more difficult to get groceries.

"Quality customer service and food in the community, these guys really take care of us," Bradford said. "It's very accessible for me because a lot of times I'm walking or someone is helping me."    

No decision has been made from the board on the future of the store. Waters said since May the store is making a profit. 

The board did vote to retain a commercial realtor specialist to evaluate the property.

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