Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Fuqua Bringing Grocery Back to Lindbergh

Fuqua Development cozies up to Kroger 

A couple weeks removed from the announcement that Atlanta-based Fuqua Development was now partnering with Cincinnati, Ohio-based Kroger at their proposed 20-acre Glenwood Place development comes news they are also partnering with Kroger at their proposed 18-acre Lindbergh Place development near Buckhead.  Both the Glenwood and Lindbergh projects were previously linked to Walmart Supercenter stores and were each met with substantial pushback and criticism from the surrounding neighborhoods. 

If the deal goes though, this would mark the return of a grocery store to the Lindbergh area for the first time since Cub Foods closed in 2001. (Target in Lindbergh Plaza became a "PFresh" store a couple years ago and in doing so added some produce, meat and fresh-basked goods)  The roughly 64,000 square foot Cub Foods was located in nearby Buckhead Crossing shopping center.  The former Cub Foods space is today home to Bennie's Shoes, Office Depot and ROSS. 
The Kroger at Lindbergh Place will reportedly be 82,000 square feet, a far cry from the roughly 150,000 square foot Walmart store previously proposed.  The Walmart proposed at Glenwood Place would have been 143,000 square feet and according to a source within Kroger, theirs will be about 100,000 square feet. 

Kroger is focusing on larger stores and has expanded or is in the process of expanding / remodeling a number of metro area stores.  Stores at Toco Hill and Cherokee Plaza have already received updates while stores at Cofer Crossing in Tucker and North Decatur Square in Decatur are currently having work done.  

The 18-acre Lindbergh Place center is surrounded by Lindbergh Drive, Morosgo Drive, Adina Drive and Piedmont Road.  The development will replace both existing and previously demolished apartments and a few small businesses along Lindbergh Drive.  The center's largest street frontage will be on Morosgo Drive where it will overlook Lindbergh Plaza, redeveloped by Sembler in 2007.  Lindbergh Place will reportedly include a 3-acre "urban park."  

The 20-acre Glenwood Place center was previously home to a Lafarge Building Material site and is situated alongside Bill Kennedy Way and Glenwood Avenue, near Grant Park.  In addition to the Kroger, there is reportedly another 70-80,000 square feet of additional retail planned.  

Interestingly, in the cases of both the Lindbergh and Glenwood projects, there are existing Kroger stores less than two miles away. Near the Lindbergh site there is already a Kroger, and a famous Kroger at that: the "Disco" Kroger at 3330 Piedmont Road.  The 55,520 square foot "Disco" Kroger at Piedmont Peachtree Crossing was re-branded Kroger Fresh Fare a few years ago.  Near the Glenwood site, there is an existing 62,000 square foot Kroger store at the Edgewood Retail District.  Edgewood Retail District, as some may recall, was developed by Sembler, of which Jeff Fuqua was then president, in 2005.  

According to sources within Kroger, neither upcoming store will be a Kroger "Marketplace" which reportedly average 115,000 square feet. I've visited the Kroger Marketplace in Carrollton and it's HUGE!   Given the sizes of both stores it is likely however that both will feature an increased selection of higher margin, non-grocery items.  Examples of merchandise likely to be carried would be small kitchen appliances and utensils, small household goods and an increased selection of school supplies.  

Charleston, South Carolina-based Greystar is also proposing 188 "age restricted" "high end" apartments to be built adjacent to the Kroger at Lindbergh Place.  The one and two bedroom apartments will reportedly be restricted to renters 55 and older.  Both Fuqua's Morningside and Lindbergh projects were both previously liked to apartment developer Archstone, but are now being developed by Mill Creek Residential and Greystar respectively.  

Greystar has been busy in metro Atlanta over the past couple of years with projects such as the new Crescent Terminus as well as the upcoming Elan Westside, The Flats at Ponce City Market and Crescent Howell Mill apartments.  

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

GOOD. That area needs an actual grocery store badly. I moved away from that area 3 years ago and I always hated that I could easily walk anywhere but a grocery store.

Anonymous said...

Any idea if the parcel next to Fuqua's Morningside development is being developed? Right now it has the St. Phillip's Thrift Shop and Twist & Scoot. St. Phillip's is moving north on Piedmont.

Atlantan99 said...

@Anon RE: Fuqua Mornignside,

Believe it or not, sources indicate that that the Twist 'n' Scoot will actually expand into the thrift shop space and remain in place.

Thanks for your comments and readership.

Anonymous said...

Not impressed with the Crescent Terminus. The colors of the elevator interiors (HOT pink) and then a weird neon blue in the halls make it feel like a cheap hotel. The rooftop patios feel shoddily done too with a missed opportunity as they are really small relative to the overall rooftop space. You mostly look at the AC units on the roof.

Anonymous said...

Any idea what's going on with the partially constructed condo building on Morosgo and Adina between the post office and the Metropolitan? I believe it was originally called Skyview and it's been sitting for about 7 years now with just the first couple of floors of concrete built.

Atlantan99 said...

@Anon RE: partially built condo,

I have no idea. I'd love to see something happen as its an eyesore (albeit not of Buckhead Atlanta proportions) but an eyesore nonetheless.

Thanks for your comments and readership.

Anonymous said...

Needs a nickname. "Lindbergh Kroger" won't suffice.

Anonymous said...

The Disco Kroger lease expires in 2-3 years and there are plans to demolish the center and build a mixed use redevelopment similar to Terminus. Ask the owner Equity 1

Anonymous said...

Re: Disco Kroger... that plaza as occupied is worth at least triple what vacant land there would be worth. There's no way its ownership wouldn't do everything in their power to keep Kroger in place as well as the other tenants. If Kroger were to leave on their own, the story changes slightly but still a very tough financial underwriting (I work in commercial real estate development and have worked on land in the immediate area).

Walmart said...

The expansion could actually be the core reason behind making the store a better place to shop.

Unknown said...

I'm really looking forward to the Lindbergh Place Kroger. I live within walking distance. I hope the increase in apartments in the area will bring more dining choices.

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