FOREST OAKS -- People living in the Forest Oaks area of southeast Guilford County are anxiously awaiting construction of a pair of retail developments that could cut their drive for grocery shopping and other amenities by several miles.

The two projects are in the final approval stage and a community leader says the area's three-year shopping drought could begin to ease by the end of the year.

When a former Winn Dixie store closed three years ago, Forest Oaks and several surrounding communities were suddenly without a place to get their groceries, at least not anywhere close.

"We couldn't get any groceries of any kind," said Doug Justice, who lives in Forest Oaks. "Even milk and bread were hard to get at the little convenience store ... so I ended up driving eight miles basically to Food Lion or Wal-Mart."

Enter Charlotte developer Urbane Properties and Commercial Properties out of Raleigh.

The two companies agreed to share the $15-25 million cost of extending water and sewer lines to two properties at the corner of Liberty and Woody Mill roads near U.S. 421 to build a pair of shopping centers, a longstanding goal of the community.

"Here today we are standing in front of one project, which is over 60 acres that will be the home of a Lowes supermarket and across the road from us we have the site of a future Food Lion," said David Gearhart, president of the Southeast Guilford Community Association.

Plans call for the Shoppes at Forest Oaks to feature an upscale Food Lion and a drug store.

The much larger Woody Mill Square would include the Lowes and other still-to-be-determined retail stores.

Doug Justice knows what he'd like to see.

"Probably a bank, maybe a hardware store," said Justice. "We used to have a hardware store down here. Maybe dry cleaners."

The new stores will bring something that neighbors here haven't had in a long time: convenience.

"It'll mean even more than it did three years ago because gas is so much higher than it was three years ago," said Isaac Barnett. "But it will be very convenient."

Gearhart says the benefit of these two projects will extend well beyond Forest Oaks.

"It's about Julian, Climax, the Alamance communities, Lynwood Lakes."

Gearhart says if all goes according to plan, the new Food Lion store could open by the end of the year, with the other stores to follow.

Neighbors say they can't come too soon.

"Just hurry up and get here," laughed Barnett.

Urbane Properties and Commercial Properties are waiting for final approval of their water and sewer plans from the city of Greensboro.

Guilford County commissioners could give their go-ahead for the project when they meet April 17.