At Montgomery Road and Route 1, the sign that used to say "Superfresh" has been blacked out, the parking lot is empty and paper covers the building's windows.

Since the July 6 closing of the Superfresh store, a casualty of its parent company’s bankruptcy, there has been little stirring. Regency Centers, which owns the Elkridge shopping center, has changed the property listing on its website to say that Rite Aid—rather than Superfresh—is the anchor store for Elkridge Corners.

Regency, a national company headquartered in Jacksonville, declined to provide information to Elkridge Patch despite multiple requests.

But activity is going on behind the scenes, Howard County Councilwoman Courtney Watson (D-Elkridge, Ellicott City) assured constituents in an e-mail Tuesday afternoon. 

“Regency currently has two grocers interested in the 40,000-square-foot site,” wrote Watson. “They are working through a process of letters of intent, which leads to final lease terms. 

“The names of the interested grocers will not be shared until there is an agreement with one of them,” continued Watson, who added that in any event, “this is good news for Elkridge.”

Having a grocer take over the space would save Elkridge residents from traveling several miles to a supermarket. 

Nearby supermarkets are Giant (2.7 miles from Elkridge Corners), Trader Joe’s (5.6 miles), Costco (5.6 miles) and Food Lion (5 miles).

The lack of nearby competitors was a draw, according to Watson. “The grocers have done market studies and believe this is a very viable site for a grocery, particularly because there is not much competition,” she said.

Before the opening of another business, Watson said Regency “is looking to have the new grocer put a major capital investment in the façade of the store, as well as the interior."

Consumers, too, noted the need for improvement. “Ever since a thunderstorm blew off a large chunk of the wall ... we had to face the truth that the store needed some serious work,” said Elkridge Patch blogger Katryn Stewart in a post about the store’s move to close.

The new grocery store in Elkridge Corners will open “hopefully sometime this fall," wrote Watson, "and certainly by the end of the year.”

Last weekend, Shoppers opened in Ellicott City, 10 days after the Superfresh there closed. The Arbutus Superfresh is in discussions with prospects, with interest ranging from bookstores to upscale markets.