City inspectors ordered the owner of a Midtown strip mall to clean up a homeless encampment tucked just feet from a grocery store and church in the 2100 block of Union Avenue.

The area beside The Fresh Market at 2145 Union Avenue was crowded with tents, mattresses, furniture, personal belongings and trash when Public Works Environmental Enforcement visited Thursday, according to city records. Inspectors said they saw a homeless presence along the property line, between the fence and the sidewalk on the Summit side of the street, and issued a Notice of Violation to the property owner, WG Memphis LLC.

The order requires the owner to remove all garbage and debris from the site by May 21. The Fresh Market spokesperson said the company was unaware of the issue and would look into it further, and said the store does not own the property.

The enforcement action comes after residents complained about blight in the neighborhood, including one resident who said she made multiple calls to the city’s 311 hotline over the last two months. The encampment is hidden behind two fence lines and trees, which may explain why an employee at nearby businesses said she did not know it was there. It is also not clear how long the camp has been in place.

For now, the city has put the responsibility on the property owner, and the deadline is fixed. By May 21, WG Memphis LLC must clear the lot, or the violation will remain an open problem in one of Midtown’s most visible commercial corridors.