Three Burlington Food Lion stores receive renovation permits, work underway

Burlington inspection records show the city issued renovation permits for three Food Lion supermarkets inside city limits, and work is already underway at one site where crews are removing old fixtures. The permitting activity, recorded in mid-January, marks the start of store-level renovations that will affect shoppers and nearby neighborhoods.

A permit dated January 12 lists a “remodel of an existing supermarket” at 1780 West Webb Avenue, at the Webb Avenue and West Davis Street intersection, with an estimated project cost of $1,123,000. The Webb Avenue property is leased to Food Lion by a Greensboro-based limited liability company named Yorktown Investors. Two additional renovation approvals appeared in city inspection files on January 13: one for a Food Lion location described as near the interstate interchange for Alamance Road, and another for a store along South Church Street that is “within shouting distance of Elon’s municipal limits,” where workers have already started clearing out old fixtures.

Store-level renovations come as Food Lion’s parent, Ahold Delhaize USA, moves forward on a major logistics investment in Alamance County. Ahold Delhaize USA’s distribution and transportation units plan to “will build an $860 million state-of-the-art distribution center in Burlington, N.C.,” adding more than 1 million square feet of distribution infrastructure, with construction expected to begin next year and operations anticipated in 2029. Food Lion itself operates more than 1,100 stores across 10 states and employs over 82,000 associates. The company is also undertaking a broad regional remodel program — 153 stores across the greater Charlotte area in a $484 million investment — aimed at expanding ready-to-eat options and improving product assortment.

For local residents, the immediate impact will be most visible at the South Church Street site and on Webb Avenue. Renovation activity can temporarily affect store hours, parking and traffic patterns, and the availability of familiar product displays. Proximity to Elon University means students and campus-area residents should watch for short-term changes to shopping routines. In the medium term, renovated stores typically deliver refreshed layouts, more grab-and-go and prepared-food offerings, and updated shelving and refrigeration that can improve product freshness and selection.

From an economic perspective, the combination of store remodels and a planned large distribution center signals coordinated investment across the retail and logistics chain. The $860 million distribution project and the regional $484 million remodel program represent substantial capital flows that could support construction jobs, ongoing warehousing employment, and greater supply-chain efficiency for local grocers. Municipal officials will weigh those gains against the need to manage permitting, traffic impacts, and any temporary business disruptions.

Key details remain to be confirmed, including specific addresses and cost estimates for the two January 13 permits, contractor identities, and project timelines or planned temporary closures. Burlington inspection records hold the permit files that will list permit numbers, contractors and scope of work; residents and business owners can expect additional information as those records are finalized and as Food Lion or property owners announce schedules.

What this means for readers: expect visible construction activity around the three stores in coming weeks, potential short-term disruption at the South Church Street location, and longer-run service improvements tied to store upgrades and broader logistics investment that could reshape grocery access in Burlington by the end of the decade.