By Mark Hansel
NkyTribune managing editor
The Love the Cov mural at Kroger on Madison Avenue in Covington is completed and the grocer had a sort of community party Wednesday to show it off.
Residents of the community joined local leaders and Kroger employees for the informal event, which included food on the grill and an artwork that celebrates some of the city’s landmarks.
The Futuro House, Heron Fountain, the Ascent and the Goebel goats are among the images featured on the mural, which wraps around the building.
Patty Leeseman, public affairs manager for Kroger, Cincinnati/Dayton Division said the company partnered BLDG, a national branding and design company to create the mural.
“We remodeled this store about a year ago and we wanted to carry that out to the exterior of the building,” Leeseman said. “We wanted it to be different and to represent the community of Covington.”
Jarrod Becker with BLDG, who designed the mural, said he took his inspiration from the people of Covington.
“Basically, it’s just all of the unique things you see here that sets Covington apart and makes it different from every other community,” Becker said.
Covington City Commissioner Chuck Eilerman said it’s great that Kroger has given so much attention to a store in one of its urban communities that is undergoing a renaissance.
“I compliment Kroger for their reinvestment in the Covington Center store, both with the wonderful exterior mural and significant upgrades inside,” Eilerman said. “The more nice amenities there are for shopping in a neighborhood, the more people will want to come here, so hopefully this benefits Kroger in the long run as well.”
This is the fifth mural project that Kroger has commissioned locally since 2012.
The company has done murals on a few of its stores in Louisville and has one on the interior of its Oakley store in Cincinnati.
The company sought input from residents, store employees and local officials to create an artwork that represented the history and diversity of the surrounding community.
Leeseman said one goal was to make the store more inviting so people who haven’t been inside for a while will come check it out. The footprint limited what renovations could be made, but Leeseman said it was important to provide an upgrade for the local customer base.
“We’ve done a lot inside that customers may not notice with refrigeration and other equipment,” Leeseman said. “We’ve also expanded our produce section, we’ve added organic and natural foods, which is really nice. We redesigned the décor in the building, so it’s more customer-friendly and we’ve added some U-Scans as well.”
The store is located at 1525 Madison Avenue, in Covington.
Contact Mark Hansel at mark.hansel@nkytrib.com