Despite the current economy, developer Robert Bishop said outside retailers remain interested in locating in Greenville, especially in the land alongside Wal-Mart and the Edge Theatre.

“All of them are running a little scared right now,” said Bishop, who helped bring The Edge and the soon-to-be opened Holiday Inn Express to Greenville. “But there is still interest.”

Bishop met with members of the Greenville Planning Commission on Monday.

Out of respect for privacy, Bishop would not elaborate on who the interested parties were, but said one was a big retailer that would need an estimated 20,000 square-foot plot of land for the business.

Despite a long delay, Bishop also said a multi-unit apartment complex is still in the works for the development.

“We may have to drop the initial estimate of 182 units back to the 150 to 160-unit range,” he said.

Because the land has been cleared for some time, dust and sand have become a problem for businesses located around the development. Richard Branum, chairman of the planning commission, told Bishop there needs to be immediate attention paid to that concern.

Bishop agreed and said he would work to address the issue.

In other business:

– City Inspector Eddie Anderson said Holiday Inn Express is reporting 80 percent completion and hopes to open in January.

Additionally, renovations are ongoing at Old Mexico and the the hotel located directly behind it, he said, and there were no residential housing permits issued by the city in October.