SAXONBURG — A new business is one step closer to making its home in the former Friedman’s Freshmarket grocery store in the borough.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of State, a newly formed LLC was filed Oct. 17 with the state under the name Sprankle Saxonburg LLC. It listed the same address as the former market.

“We have not been notified of what’s going in there,” said Mary Papik, Saxonburg borough manager, adding there still have not been any permit applications submitted regarding the former Friedman’s building on West Water Street.

Papik confirmed she was approached last week by representatives of the building’s owner — North Carolina-based Merchants Distributors Inc. — about how to apply for sign permits but has yet to receive any paperwork.

“But we don’t know the name of the business, and nothing has officially been turned in,” Papik said.

As of late last month, plumber’s trucks and other activity were going on at the site. The Butler Eagle reported at the time that a representative of Alex Lee in Hickory, N.C., said the company was close to a contract with a retailer but would not release the name of the business.

The borough has been without a grocery store since Friedman’s Freshmarket closed in January 2018.

Friedman’s stores also closed in Chicora and Greater Butler Mart at the same time.

Alex Lee is the parent company of Merchants Distributors, also of Hickory. MDI was Friedman’s food supplier until the two companies became entwined in a lawsuit. MDI won the suit and now owns the Saxonburg building.