At long last, the decrepit Delk Road Kroger is being put out to pasture. According to a Kroger employee at the store, the brand-new Kroger (1310 Powers Ferry Road) is expected to open August 2, while the existing circa 1982 Kroger (1122 Powers Ferry Road) is slated to close "around the same time".
It's unclear what had more recently delayed the store, but March came and went as did the subsequently projected April and May openings. We visited the store in May and found it built and nearly finished save for merchandise and employees. A subsequent visit this week revealed the onsite 18 pump Kroger fuel center has opened (unleaded was $3.13 as of June 13) with hiring still ongoing for the actual store.
The new Kroger measures nearly 91,000 square feet, down from an originally planned 113,000 square feet, but still more than double the current Delk Kroger which measures about 45,000 square feet. At only 91,000 square feet, the new store will not carry the "Marketplace" branding, a designation typically reserved for stores in excess of 100,000 square feet such as those in Gainesville, Cumming, Carrollton and Savannah. The Terrell Mill store will be smaller than the large format Glenwood Place store near Grant Park but larger than the large format Kroger off Piedmont Road near the Lindbergh MARTA station. The new Terrell Mill Kroger will feature an in-store Starbucks.
Kroger received $35 million in tax abatements from the Development Authority of Cobb County, but only after a legal challenge threatened the bond issuance and Kroger threatened to abandon the project. The Georgia Supreme Court upheld the issuing of the bonds in 2019.
According to Cobb County property records, Habersham Partners LLC purchased the current roughly 4.8 acre Kroger property in November 2019 for $5.5 million. East Cobb News reported this past March that WC Acquisitions LLC filed plans with the City of Marietta to build more than 300 apartments and 6,000 square feet of retail space on the old Kroger property.
Marketplace Terrell Mill was a joint venture between Atlanta commercial real estate developers JR Connolly of Connolly Investments and Brandon Ashkouti of Eden Rock Real Estate Partners.
The 23 acres at the southwest intersection of Powers Ferry Road and Terrell Mill Road was previously home to Brumby Elementary School, among other things, and was rezoned for the mixed-use project in 2018. In addition to the 289 unit Marketplace Village apartment building, the $120 million MarketPlace Terrell Mill development also includes an all-important Extra Space Storage (AKA the new Mattress Firm of shopping centers) as well as other retail and restaurant space.
Among the other tenants in the center are Regions Bank, Lush Nail Salon, and Ideal Dental as well as Chick-fil-A, Panera, Wendy’s and Los Abuelos Mexican Grill. A new outpost of "craft beer bar" The Brass Tap is also slated to open in the center in early August.
ToNeTo Atlanta has in recent years reported on more than two dozen new grocery stores opening in metro Atlanta, most of which were either Publix or Lidl. Publix has already opened more than a half dozen new stores in metro Atlanta in just the past year while Lidl has pushed several planned openings to 2024.
For its part, Kroger has been particularly quiet - closing stores in Brookhaven (2020) and Decatur & Buckhead (2022) - while pushing back or calling off other stores. The company did in 2020 finally reopen their rebuilt Embry Hills store. A previously planned Kroger planned for the corner of 17th Street and Northside Drive behind IKEA was abandoned with the grocer selling its property to multifamily developer Southeastern that recently broke ground on their planned development, "UrbA ATL." ToNeTo Atlanta reported in March that a Kroger in Lawrenceville that was thought to have been delayed indefinitely is indeed moving forward.
Are you pleased to see Kroger opening their new store? What would you like to see get built at the existing Kroger site? What traditional grocer do you shop at most frequently?
Please share your thoughts below.
24 comments:
A much needed change. The old Kroger at the corner of Powers Ferry and Delk has been horrible for a long, long time. A really trashy store, like the really old Kroger was on South Cobb Drive in Smyrna before it moved into its current (then newly built) location across the street. That Kroger is now Planet Fitness. I wonder what, if anything, will go into the old Powers Ferry Kroger once it's gone? The new store looks very nice and it's good to have the gas station there. The Publix right there on Delk is one of the worse Publix locations around too, to be honest.
This will be a good thing for the area.
@Anon RE: the area,
Thank you for this comment! This is the exact kind of commentary we are looking for. (READ: not racist, just observations of the current area and stores in it.)
Thank you for your comment and readership, both are very much appreciated!
Eli
@Atlantan99, my pleasure, and thanks for your nice comment!
Thanks for running this excellent blog, your work is very much appreciated too!
I'm sure this is an upgrade over the current outdated location, but those super Krogers are like going to Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes, etc. It takes forever to finish all your shopping because they're so huge. And the parking lots are insane too. Most people want to get in and out when doing their grocery shopping. This is why I prefer Aldi, Lidl, and even Food Depot.
I used to work in that area and occasionally shopped at that Publix. I did not find it to be anything less than any other Publix. In fact, it carried products that my main Publix didn't. Oh well....
The new Kroger stores are nice. I live near the Embry Hills Kroger. I shop at Kroger for some items but I am mainly a Publix shopper. Yes they are a little more expensive but love their quality.
The Publix on Delk road is in good shape. Every 4 years Publix does a mild refresh on each store. New paint, rearrange and remodel. That store looks clean and employees are helpful. Kroger is just as expensive and more than a few are nasty. Yes this new Kroger will be a nice change for the area. I was hoping for a marketplace Kroger because they seem to offer different/more options. I look forward to shopping at the new store when it opens.
The Delk/Powers Ferry Kroger was “less than ideal” when I lived up there 25 years ago. This will be a welcome addition. Maybe Publix will step up their game in the area as well.
Cannot imagine not being able to shop at a Kroger store they are the ultimate just saying only buy my groceries from Kroger's although I enjoy shopping at Meijer stores not to buy any groceries unless occasionally non-perishable items or sometime there Maria Frozen potpie and dinners although there's nothing wrong with their meats and veggies I just prefer Krogers just knowing the history and being a part of it well over 50 some years! From the late 60s shopping at A&P aka- Ann Page until the end of the late 70s or early 80s through farmer Jack Merger well until the mid 90s start of the Kroger merger
The site of the old Kroger currently has difficult access at both Delk and Powers Ferry and most potential uses for the site would seriously exacerbate existing traffic dangers around that intersection. Rather than just reusing the old building or slapping down another stack of high-density apartments in its place, a broader approach that also addresses the aging and disjointed buildings and improves the traffic flow and safety of the area would seem preferable. For instance, one idea would be to combine the Kroger property with the similarly problematic tiny strip centers and 1970's class C single-story office buildings that are to the south of the old Kroger. This would create a bigger parcel that would have improved access at Powers Ferry Common and/or at the entrance to Marketplace and, physically, almost anything could go there. Would there be support for a Lowe's or Target anchored development that also included some of the Brazilian shops currently in the strip centers as well as other local stuff? Or, could a truly well-designed mixed use solution on the expanded parcel (condos or some offices for small companies, restaurants, shops and some green space for lingering) improve the appearance and usability of the area? How about tree-lined soccer fields for a new community sports program drawing from the apartments and neighborhoods nearby?
Will it have cashiers? There are no longer actual cashiers at the Beltline Kroger. We can only use it for small runs now. If you want a full cart of groceries, you have to go to the Publix on Ponce instead.
Who's the guy suggesting soccer fields, mixed-use developments, and Target-anchored strip malls? This isn't 1990.
I've been wondering when this store would eventually open considering it had the sign out front stating "Spring 2023". The store on the corner of Delk Road is certainly showing its age, and it is increasingly rare for Kroger to hold onto those old "Greenhouse" buildings without any exterior modifications. I'll be interested to see how the new store looks once it opens, and hopefully Kroger can keep it up and properly staff it (as opposed to what's happened at a number of other locations in the area).
I'd also have to agree with the first commenter that the nearby Publix on Delk Road isn't the best. That store started off as an A&P from the late-1980's or early-1990's; Publix took it over and reopened it in 2000 following the acquisition of nine Atlanta-area stores from the ailing grocery chain. While that store does have Sienna, Publix's 2011-2019 interior scheme, the layout is almost entirely original to A&P and the store is far from a standard Publix. I'm personally surprised that more of the former A&Ps haven't been knocked down, but I could also see Publix try to scoop up the old Kroger store to build something new. All of this is on top of the fact that Publix's Atlanta Divsion headquarters are just behind the old Kroger.
I've been to that Publix a couple of times when in the area and I don't have an issue with the layout or interior of that store. My issue with it is that God awful parking lot.
I worked at the Publix and Kroger back in high school. Glad to see the area develop.
That’s fantastic glad to see the new Kroger open there. Wondering if Kroger has any plans to either update, refurb, or otherwise tidy up the battle worn location that sits on the corner of LaVista and Montreal Roads. It coincidentally is the closet store to the Corp Office at Parklake Drive. This store generally feels tired and run down. The team there is great but I try not to go there anymore since Embry Hills reopened - if I do it’s for a quick run in grab and go.
I agree about the Lavista/Montreal Kroger. It was tired when we moved into the neighborhood 30 years ago, and it's even more tired now. I had heard that a rebuild was an issue because of landlord restrictions, no space to put in a newer/larger store and zoning issues with gas pumps (not enough space). But you would think that being across the street from the headquarters they would at least do a facelift on it.
Good luck staffing that store
I disagree about the Publix on Delk and Powers Ferry. I think it is a wonderful store with super nice employees.
Ghetto Kroger
Why can I not buy a full cart? Does that location only offer baskets? Odd.
So, Ten Years Later: Two (2) traffic control lights - one on Terrell Mill, and one on Powers Ferry - are good improvements to Kroger's accessibility. The deli / bakery was long past due for expansion. The meat / seafood displays have needed a hard look too. Once upon a time that Delk Road location was a competitive location but as time has passed it became less likely that a health inspector could guarantee that dairy & eggs never set out of the refrigerated cases long enough to be a concern. Maybe now they can restock the cases from the back side of the walk-in coolers? Looking forward to taking the grand tour within the next few days to see if maybe the aisles are now wide enough for 2 carts to pass each by each other going opposite directions without banging into each other. Cases stacked in the aisles didn't add to a pleasant shopping experience. It got to the point that shoppers couldn't stop to read the labels without engaging in a version of "bumoer carts". Hopefully the developer will level the old location before Goodwill or another car parts dealer try to establish a presence there.
Yea that Publix is really nice now that Kroger was definitely trash
My young daughter was followed and harassed in this store todsy st 2:36 pm from a woman forcing her to buy meat. Telling her to get to register and then added items to order and fought with her to grab receipt from her. This woman she be in handcuffs. She is a filthy thief and harassed young people in store claiming her family needed to eat. When my daughter was safe she was informed the woman was on line trying to return the items to get money. I am infuriated and sick. Go get a job and stop using your children to steal.
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