A shopping center planned for Memorial Drive across from Pitt Community College hinges on securing a grocery store to anchor the development, according to Tripp Gulliford, executive vice president of developer Midland Development Group in Jacksonville, Fla.

Site work has begun on the property at the corner of Memorial and Whitley drives near the new Sheetz.

"It would be into the fall before anything vertical started," Gulliford said by phone from his Florida office Wednesday. "Obviously the key to the whole thing is we're not going to build the thing without having the anchor deal done. We're not in the business of building stuff speculatively."

Midland Development has projects in seven states, including three in North Carolina — Gateway Plaza in Wilson, Tiffany Square in Rocky Mount and Premier Station in Roanoke Rapids. Tiffany Square and Premier Station are anchored by Farm Fresh grocery stores.

The Midland Web site lists the Greenville project as Fire Tower Station with a "grocery anchored retail development with 24,000 square feet of retail shop space and up to four outparcels." Whitley Drive connects Memorial Drive and Fire Tower Road. A new traffic signal has been installed on Memorial Drive but is not yet operational.

"The biggest thing there is the signal going in, which we think is going to take a lot of pressure off Fire Tower and create, with that intersection with Whitley, a pretty significant intersection," Gulliford said.

The Shopping Center Group, which is based in Atlanta and has offices in Raleigh, Charlotte and Norfolk, Va., is acting as the leasing agent.

Linens 'n Things

Greenville's Linens 'n Things store at University Common shopping center on Evans Street will remain open, according to the financially troubled home-furnishings store.

Linens Holding Co., the Clifton, N.J.-based parent corporation of the Linens 'n Things stores, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on May 2 and announced it would close some 120 stores. No North Carolina stores were listed in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The company said in a news release that the decision to file for Chapter 11 protection was driven largely by "the impact of the current economic downturn on the company's operating performance."

As of December, Linens 'n Things had nearly 600 stores in 47 states and Canada.

Gas prices

After a slight retreat late last week, gas prices surged to another record Thursday in Greenville, reaching $3.673 for a gallon of unleaded in a survey of 15 Winterville and Greenville area stores Thursday afternoon.

The high was $3.699 at Sheetz, Fuel Doc, Duck Thru, Kangaroo Express and Trade Wilco Hess; the low was $3.599 at Murphy USA at Wal-Mart. The average price locally topped $3.50 for the first time on April 19, then climbed to $3.602 on April 25. A decrease to $3.547 during the weekend lasted only a few days before a double-digit jump at most stations Wednesday pushed the average to $3.657.

Business bits

Albemarle Bank & Trust (proposed) will hold an informational luncheon on Wednesday at noon at Parker's Barbecue on Memorial Drive. Lunch will be provided. The Edenton-based community bank recently opened a loan production office in Greenville and will discuss investment opportunities; services and other programs offered; the impact be on the community; personnel involved in the bank's leadership, and how AB&T plans to be different from other banks.

Carolina H.E.A.T. Martial Arts and Family Fitness will move to 3400 S. Memorial Drive, Suite 9, in the Carolina East Centre. The grand opening is scheduled for May 17.

Nationwide Insurance has opened an office at 3400 S. Memorial Drive, Suite 13, in the Carolina East Centre.