Fuqua In Discussions For West Atlanta Kroger
A dormant piece of land on Atlanta's west side could be home to a new Kroger store as grocery chains make further inroads inside Atlanta's hottest urban markets.
Kroger is in talks with Fuqua Development to anchor a retail-centric, mixed-use project at 1299 Northside Drive, a 12.5-acre site next door to the IKEA in Atlantic Station, according to sources. The project, still tentatively named Northside & 17th, is being developed in a joint venture with The Ardent Cos.
Fuqua Development founder Jeff Fuqua and Ardent director of acquisitions Scott Werbel declined to comment. A Kroger spokesman stated in an email that the grocer had no information as of press time.
The developers have switched gears from previous plans to add multifamily to the project and instead intend to focus on retail and office space. A land disturbance permit filed late last year with the City of Atlanta indicates the project would include space for a grocer, restaurants, a bank and retail.
But permits filed with the city confirm another use of the project: self-storage. According to separate land disturbance permits, Pennsylvania-based CubeSmart is planning to operate a storage facility at the project. Officials with the company confirm that developers will build the facility for CubeSmart.
This is Fuqua's latest intown project involving a grocery store. Fuqua recently filed permits to begin land development for Madison Yards, a 160K SF, Publix-anchored mixed-use project at 905 Memorial Drive being leased by Vantage Realty Partners.
The project also will be home to a 550-unit apartment project, developed by Greystar. Fuqua and Ardent have been working on the 17th Street site since 2014, when the original proposal called for a mix of retail and residential, including apartments and single-family houses.
Grocers continue to make inroads inside Atlanta's central business district as they chase the boom of new multifamily projects, otherwise known as residences of potential shoppers. Kroger still leads the pack among grocery stores in most of North and Central Georgia, commanding 30.5% of the total market share, according to The Shelby Report.
