SAXONBURG — While neither party can officially confirm the deal until it closes, it's looking as though a grocery store soon will return to Saxonburg in a deal that sells the former Friedman's Freshmarket on West Water Street.

Merchants Distributors Inc., of Hickory, N.C., came into possession of the property after it won a lawsuit last year against Harold Friedman Inc., the former owner of the store.

Shawn Beichler, MDI's general manager and vice president of real estate, confirmed Monday the property is under contract to sell, but could not confirm the name of the buyer until officially closing the deal.

“We're looking to have that deal wrapped up in February,” Beichler said.

Beichler said the many upgrades that have been ongoing for months at the Saxonburg property are being paid for by the buyer.

He could not divulge whether MDI will be the store's food distributor once the store opens, nor could he give the sale price before the closing.

“We're looking forward to a successful venture here,” Beichler said.

Carole Bitter, owner of Harold Friedman Inc., has not responded to repeated requests for comment on the lawsuit with MDI or the future of her former stores.

MDI sued because the Friedman company had stopped making payments on both food transported to the store and a loan from MDI, but Bitter countered that MDI's business practices did not live up to industry standards and caused the business to fail.

All Friedman's Freshmarkets in the county, including locations in Chicora, Saxonburg, Greater Butler Mart and West Brady Street, were closed by January 2018.

The West Brady Street store, which was closed several years ago, was sold in spring 2019 to Joseph and Jacquelyn Gray of Gateway Engineers, formerly of South Main Street. Part of the building was converted to office space to house the firm.

The former Friedman's supermarket chain grew from a grocery push cart used in 1900 by Bitter's grandfather, immigrant Jacob Friedman.