Kroger Marketplace Site Plan
Note: This story was updated at 9:44 p.m.
A rezoning approved by Oak Ridge City Council on Monday could allow Kroger to move into a new store that would almost double its space.
The company has been interested in expanding in Oak Ridge for about four years, said Paul Xhajanka, Kroger real estate manager in Atlanta, Ga. However, that hasn’t been possible at the current site at South Illinois and Rutgers avenues due to space constraints and other tenants.
So, the company now plans to move a few miles north to a 25-acre development at the busy intersection of Illinois Avenue and Oak Ridge Turnpike.
Council voted 6-0 on Monday to approve a rezoning for that $30 million shopping center, which would be anchored by a 113,000-square-foot Kroger Marketplace.
As proposed, the shopping center would replace a neighborhood of about 55 homes, two hotels, a restaurant, day care center, and church. A handful of the homeowners who have agreed to sell their properties are considering whether to move their homes, Xhajanka said.
To make way for the development, the city will be asked to abandon utility easements and two short roads—Robin Lane and Iris Circle. Home demolition could begin in February, and a traffic light would be installed at Ivanhoe Road and North Illinois Avenue, Xhajanka said.
Members of the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, a building used for church functions as well as community events such as Rotary Club and League of Women Voters meetings, agreed to sell their 3.6-site to the shopping center in a 169-12 vote on Sept. 30.
City Council will consider the Kroger rezoning on second and final reading during an Oct. 22 meeting. The shopping center, which would include 12,000 square feet of shop space and five outparcels, could open early in 2014.
Xhajanka said it will be like Kroger stores in Farragut and at Cedar Bluff Road and Kingston Pike in Knoxville. The Oak Ridge store will include such stores as a bank, Fred Meyer jeweler, and Starbucks.
Xhajanka said the new shopping center will add about 250 jobs.
He said Kroger is leasing its current space and is trying to find a tenant to sublease it.
mushroocloud says
It is sad no one has made this old mall meet ADA State and Federl Standards—-just for parking. This is an example of an out of town owner who comes in and picks up sticks and never makes modifications.
MW224 says
Mushroom cloud, you post on every possible story that every business in Oak Ridge is not ADA compliant and have no parking. If the comment is not relevant to the story, give the rest of us a break. If you want your case to be heard, do what others do, write a letter to the editor giving your position, and let others comment on it and see if people agree or disagree with you. Maybe you will catch the eye of someone in government to give you your time in the spotlight to discuss your issue. My own mother has a handicapped tag, parks in front of the current Kroger all the time, the automatic doors work fine, and she takes a spin on one of those fancy electric buggies. I am sure the new Kroger will offer the same perks and parking.
Tj says
Mushroom cloud is Leroy Gilliam. He does have some very good legitimate complaints with the city.
agent86 says
Well, TJ, if Leroy’s complaints are so egregious, then why don’t you use that personal connection that you have to city council and help him out?
MW224 says
Then he should use the correct form and process to bring them out. Seriously …. commenting on every story complaining about parking that does exist is not the way to do it. IF the complaints are legitimate he will get some response, also there are correct processes to identify and report businesses that receive funding from state and federal sources and have to comply with ADA standards. This story is about Kroger rezoning, the current store meets standards,why would the new one not meet standards. Look at the arrows…my comment got 5 votes in agreement so others agree that there is a better process than commenting on each and every story when it irrelevant.