Changing renovation plans delay Ingles' reopening

Ingles reopening in Morganton has been delayed because the grocery chain recently told Morganton officials it was changing its submitted renovation plans to provide better traffic flow for customers during peak hours.

The changed plans mean that Ingles must update architectural drawings. Once those drawings are received, Morganton officials said, they will be reviewed for compliance.

If the new plans meet Morganton’s building and zoning codes, construction progress will proceed once documents are approved.

A targeted opening date has not been specified, though Ingles managers in Marion said they expected Morganton’s store to reopen in late September or early October.

But nothing can proceed until Ingles submits its new plans for the store’s internal layout or decide to continue with their original plans.

While passers-by have seen for months the piles of concrete rubble and trash containers in the Morganton Ingles parking lot, Morganton officials have finally provided clarity on the delays and progress with the reopening of the popular grocery store on Carbon City Road.

Rather than simply repair the storm damage from Hurricane Helene, Ingles told Morganton officials that it plans to do a remodel of the entire building, bringing it in line with the company’s more modern stores.

After the initial set of architecture plans were submitted, Ingles told Morganton that additional modifications were needed to improve customer flow and symmetry within the store, said Morganton Building Inspector Mike Fincher. The re-design encompasses about 50% of the store, especially the produce and deli areas.

Ingles officials feared that the deli/produce area would “clog” up the store with its big lunch crowd unless changes were made, Fincher said. The layout will resemble those of newer Ingles operations such as Marion.

What remains unanswered is a construction timeline and reopening date.

Patricia “Pat” Jackson, chief financial officer for Ingles Markets, Inc., and Construction Project Manager Preston Kendall did not respond to inquiries for comment.

However, two Ingles managers in the Marion operation said last week that the company is encountering permitting issues with the City of Morganton and plan to reopen in September.

“The City understands that Ingles is committed to reopening the Morganton location and is currently still developing their new plan set for the re-designed works,” said Morganton Public Information Officer Jonelle Sigmon.

“Questions on timing of plan submission, expected length of time to complete any proposed works, and any expected reopening date are up to Ingles and best directed to their corporate offices rather than local employees,” she added.

PERMITTING

Since Helene’s destruction, Ingles has focused on repairing and reopening its Western North Carolina operations. The company stores still closed are in Morganton, Spruce Pine, and Swannanoa.

“In the days immediately following Helene, building inspectors and permitting officials from the City visited every storm-damaged commercial site to assess damage and begin conversations with owners/tenants on plans to rebuild, including Ingles. After the storm, Ingles immediately began to clean up from the storm damage, with full approval of the City,” Sigmon said.

In October 2024, Ingles applied for a building permit for repairing the storm damage which was approved that same day by the City. At that point, Fincher said, Ingles wanted to fix its pharmacy, and the City issued electrical/wiring permits.

Two months later, in December, Ingles sent drawings to the City for a total store renovation of its store layout that went far beyond the repair of storm damage.

A building permit was issued by the city, along with plumbing, electrical, mechanical, and other related permits.

Once renovations began, however, Ingles officials told the City that they were going to pause work on the building to plan for further interior re-design.

“As the re-design was different (from) the approved plans, a new set of plans and a new permit is required by State law,” Sigmon said. “Ingles advised the City’s Chief Building Inspector that they were choosing to cease work at the site until they had decided on the details of the new plans and received new building permit approvals.”

COMMUNICATIONS WITH INGLES

“I talked with Preston Kendall, their construction manager, last week and he’s telling me that they’re still waiting on their drawings. As soon as they get them, they’ll get them to us for review, but they’re committed to coming back and opening in Morganton,” Fincher explained.

Once drawings are submitted, they will go under review in his office and once approved, Ingles can receive their building permit along with follow-up permits.

Fincher said that he believed that Ingles would be using different contractors and that “they were having some issues internally, is what they expressed with their contractor.”

“I know there’s a ton of rumors going around out there saying everything from A to Z, but I’m telling you straight from the Ingles representative himself,” Fincher said. “Everything I’m telling you is exactly what the man is telling me … I’ve read all the stuff on social media, and I’ve heard it from the community, and I’m going to have to say that the majority of it is totally unfounded and untrue.

“We’re waiting on them to bring us a plan so we can get them going, because nobody wants it more than the City of Morganton and wants that store open, right? Because they are a staple in our community, and a lot of people shop there, including myself,” he added.

As of press time, the company has not submitted any plans and permits to the City. Additionally, work has not resumed at Ingles. The plans are valid for six months after their last inspection date (Feb. 19), which lands their deadline at Aug. 19.

If Ingles decides to resume with their exact original plan before Aug. 19 which was previously approved, they can immediately start working again.

However, if they develop a new plan, they have to start the approval and review process over. If they decide after Aug. 19 to pursue a new or the original plan, they must start over.

Ingles could expedite the process by paying a fast-track permitting fee of $150 per hour until the City approves the plan.