Saturday, October 19, 2019

[UPDATE] Lidl Moves the Needle, Ramps Up Atlanta Expansion

Residents of East Atlanta were advised this week that German discount grocer Lidl is looking to open a store in their neighborhood.  The store, planned for 1807 Memorial Drive in Kirkwood, would come to Parkview Station, a shopping center currently home to several businesses.

According to a request for rezoning document obtained by ToNeTo Atlanta, the property, which real estate records indicate sits on roughly 13 acres, is currently zoned C-205, C-207, 2-209 and C-210, with the grocer seeking to have the property rezoned MU-4 (Mixed Use 4).  Property records indicate that the existing shopping center was built in 1955, renovated in 1988, and then renovated again a few years ago.  Current occupants  of the center include LIV Fitness, Kirkwood Family Medicine and Ivy Preparatory Academy, which reportedly purchased the entire center in 2014 and still owns it, according to DeKalb County property records.  

Ivy Prep, an all girls academy, closed its Gwinnett county campus in 2018, at the time indicating it would reopen, but eventually consolidating operations to their DeKalb campus.  When reached for comment Friday, a representative from Ivy Prep seemed unaware of the planned grocery and indicated there are no plans for the school to close, shrink or relocate.  

The request for rezoning document did not indicate the expected size of the Lidl, but did list its "capacity" at 80.  Current Lidl stores in metro Atlanta - Snellville, Austell/Marietta and Mableton - all measure 36,000 square feet.  That said, new stores ToNeTo Atlanta has reported on in recent months will likely all be less than 30,000 square feet, according to planning documents.  A store planned for East Cobb that ToNeTo Atlanta confirmed Friday will replace an existing The Fresh Market, will be less than 22,000 square feet, making it one of the smallest known Lidl stores in America.  

An out-parcel 1,400 square foot Pizza Hut/WingStreet previously closed in Parkview Plaza and remains vacant.  If the Lidl is approved, there is likely to be renewed interest in both the adjacent inline space as well as the vacant out-parcel building. 


Marketing materials from Colliers International indicate that there are plans to add as many as two other out-parcels along Memorial Drive. 

[October 21 - ToNeTo has learned that Lidl plans to build a new 29,000 square foot store along Memorial Drive in place of the current and planned outparcel properties]  

Lidl's rival, fellow German grocer Aldi, already has dozens of stores in metro Atlanta including one about three and half miles from the planned Lidl at 3480 Memorial Drive in Decatur.  Aldi is investing $1.9 billion to remodel and expand more than 1,300 Aldi stores in the U.S. by the end of 2020.  Locally, the company is investing more than $49.5 million to update 42 stores in Atlanta and the surrounding metropolitan area, which led to the renovation of the Memorial Drive store which reopened August 8.  

A pre-submission community meeting for the Lidl on Memorial is planned for Tuesday, October 29 at 7 PM at the Burgess - Peterson Academy (480 Clifton Street SE). 

If approved, the Memorial Drive Lidl would be among several  stores the grocer has in the Atlanta pipeline as it ramps up expansion after earlier hurdles slowed their prior plans.  

Over the past few months, we have reported on planned Lidl stores in Marietta, Lawrenceville, Suwanee, Roswell, Brookhaven (North Druid Hills), Peachtree Corners and Dunwoody.  

Are you excited at the idea of a Lidl store in Kirkwood?  What are your thoughts on the new Publix at Madison Yards in nearby Reynoldstown?  Where else would you like to see Lidl open?

Please share your thoughts below  

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am AMPED. I hope it happens, I am about 2 miles from the Aldi on Moreland and it's an absolute garbage store. I usually just get groceries after work near Perimeter Center because I hate Krobar. while that Publix is damn nice, and usually pretty empty, Publix prices are a bit much. This Lidl would be 2 miles away from me too and I'd definitely do most of my shopping there and fill in what I need that they don't carry with Publix.

Anonymous said...

@ 12:12 PM Lidl is going to end up just like Aldi. Enjoy the few seasons it has as the newness quickly wears off.

Anonymous said...

Excited! Needed for the area! Hopefully will bring sidewalks and make the neighborhood walkable, thereby making it safer and more convenient.

Anonymous said...

This is exciting news we definitely need more grocery stores the publix at Madison yards is amazing and if you shop the buy one get one free items you’ll save a lot of money. I live in adair Park which is basically on the west side and there are no shopping options over there that are decent. The Kroger is very run down and even locks up a lot of items due to theft there is a small grocery store called the bear market which recently remodeled and west view corner store. Luckily the Publix is a short drive and definitely my favorite but I welcome all grocery stores. Any lidl or Aldi looking to expand ATLANTA is the gold mine.

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