Kroger to close 15th Street store (sale, lease, tenant)

[PJA]

I don't see them nixing their precious gateway project. They may have to revamp if they don't secure a grocer.

[Shinedou]

Originally Posted by GRU_Minion

It'll be funny to see the spin if MCG plows it down and builds a parking deck. They're planning to get rid of two MAJOR parking areas right in the middle of the medical campus in their grand scheme, and all those people are gonna have to park somewhere.

Just curious, which parking areas are to be removed?

[GRU_Minion]

Originally Posted by Shinedou

Just curious, which parking areas are to be removed?

The large parking area surrounded by the Ronald McDonald House, Greenblatt Library, Cancer Center and Health Sciences Building is one. The other is the much larger gravel one surrounded by the new dorms, Student Center and the Ed Commons Building. Both lots are marked to become large courtyard/grassy areas.

[Shinedou]

Originally Posted by GRU_Minion

The large parking area surrounded by the Ronald McDonald House, Greenblatt Library, Cancer Center and Health Sciences Building is one. The other is the much larger gravel one surrounded by the new dorms, Student Center and the Ed Commons Building. Both lots are marked to become large courtyard/grassy areas.

Ahh, I like the idea of the the parking lot between the library and Ronald Mcdonald house going away for aesthetic reasons but they definitely need to have replacement parking in place before then. I am just not sure there is space for new decks or a desire to build them.

[AUGnative]

Just how is it a good thing for there to be no grocery store for the entire inner city Augusta area? Sure the 15th Street Kroger was not fancy by any standards.. but at least it was a grocery store. And a lot of people depended on it especially the poor and elderly who cant get out to West Augusta or North Augusta. If there are plans to bring another grocery store into the inner city then great but so far there are no indications that will happen, at least no time soon. So what will people do in the meantime, take an Uber to shop out on Washington Road? If you want to get more people living downtown then you need access to a grocery store, not expensive convenience stores. It's going to be even harder to convince young professionals to live downtown if they are going to have to drive all the way out to Washington Road to do their grocery shopping

[Carolina Knight]

Originally Posted by cst8670

That doesn't preclude there also being a grocery store there as well, the land is more than big enough to have a grocery store with a parking deck below it.

A supermarket with a parking below is common with new Publix stores that have opened in Florida, North Carolina, and Tennessee.

[AUGnative]

Has there been any news that another grocery store is planned for that location to replace the Kroger elsewhere near downtown? I have not heard anything.

[Airforceguy]

Originally Posted by AUGnative

Has there been any news that another grocery store is planned for that location to replace the Kroger elsewhere near downtown? I have not heard anything.

From a story I saw two weeks ago on WJBF, the MCG Foundation is in talks with potential tenants and that formal plans for the gateway project should be made in about 6 months.

[AUGnative]

Originally Posted by Airforceguy

From a story I saw two weeks ago on WJBF, the MCG Foundation is in talks with potential tenants and that formal plans for the gateway project should be made in about 6 months.

Hmm I wonder what that means. I seem to remember 5 years or so ago there were talks about a Walmart Neighborhood Market going into that location but that seemed to have faded away. It would be hard to believe that a grocery would not be part of their masterplan but we will have to wait and see. Seems like they would want to make an announcement that a replacement grocery store is in the works,, I can understand why they would not want to name who that is but atleast reassure people that downtown and medical district will not remain a food desert for long.. but this vague response of just "potential tenants" is not exactly reassuring.. especially when the city is trying to market foundry place to young professionals.. that is going to be hindered with the question of a grocery store being left up in the air

[Airforceguy]

Originally Posted by AUGnative

Hmm I wonder what that means. I seem to remember 5 years or so ago there were talks about a Walmart Neighborhood Market going into that location but that seemed to have faded away. It would be hard to believe that a grocery would not be part of their masterplan but we will have to wait and see. Seems like they would want to make an announcement that a replacement grocery store is in the works,, I can understand why they would not want to name who that is but atleast reassure people that downtown and medical district will not remain a food desert for long.. but this vague response of just "potential tenants" is not exactly reassuring.. especially when the city is trying to market foundry place to young professionals.. that is going to be hindered with the question of a grocery store being left up in the air

I agree, but from I understand the holdup was the fact that the foundation had to wait on the city to find a replacement site for the bus barn. Now that a replacement site has been found, the foundation can begin work on the site. It's suppose to be 25 acres and include residential units as well. The foundation wants a grocery store to be the cornerstone of this project and they want an upscale grocer. While I don't think the current demographics of the area can support such a store, with all the projects planned maybe soon it will be able too. I think a retailer like Lucky's Market, Lidl or even a small Publix store would do well in the area.