It’s good to hear that the focus of plans for a new grocery story in downtown Lawrence has shifted back to the former Borders bookstore building at Seventh and New Hampshire streets.

Reusing that building seems to be a far better idea than trying to include a grocery store in a larger development at 11th and Massachusetts streets.

Downtown and East Lawrence residents have been eager to bring a full-service grocery to the area, and the owners of Checkers, which now has just one location at 23rd and Louisiana streets, have expressed a willingness to make that happen.

Supporters of this idea originally focused on the Borders building, but Checkers reportedly was unable to reach an agreement to buy that property. Some plans were floated to include a Checkers store on a multi-story project being planned by Lawrence businessmen Doug Compton and Mike Treanor at 11th and Massachusetts, but that plan raised some concerns, especially over the unconventional parking arrangements that would be necessary to accommodate Checkers customers.

After Compton and Treanor purchased the Borders building, new options opened up, and the developers reportedly are working on a deal to move ahead with a store at that location. A grocery would be a good reuse of that building, which is in a good location with much better access to customer parking.

It seems that no project like this can go forward in Lawrence without at least a little controversy, but finding a way to accommodate Checkers or a similar store at this site would be good for the community. Land-use restrictions currently prohibit a grocery store in the building, but the Checkers owners say they are committed to working with neighboring property owners to address their concerns about traffic or other issues. Other stores that may be considering the site could make a similar effort.

It seems that the recent flurry of downtown residential development would help support such a store and perhaps make downtown living more attractive to other residents. The store also would be convenient for people who live north and east of downtown, as well as people who work in the area and want to pick up a few groceries on their way home.

Downtown once was the site of several full-service grocery stores, and it would be nice to have such a store in the area again. Efforts to convert the Borders building for that purpose deserve the community’s support.