By Patricia A. Scheyer
NKyTribune reporter
The long awaited Kroger store, planned for the old Kmart site in Edgewood, is beginning to look like it is going to happen.
In August and September, the city of Edgewood has been receiving updates about the progress which has been made in preparation for the demolition of the old and construction of the new. Council has been eager to share the progress with the public.
“Things took a big step forward a couple weeks ago as Kroger submitted their final plans to PDS for review and approval,” Edgewood Councilmember Rob Thelen posted on Facebook. “The review could take a couple weeks and it might be early September before Kroger is given all their permits and approval to move forward with demo, etc. And yes, the plans still included gas pumps.”
For those who might have been waiting to see the Dollar Tree shut its doors as a harbinger of the strip mall being demolished, it is not going to happen.
“The Dollar Tree’s going to stay open, so all the Dollar Tree fanatics, you can still get your Dollar Tree items,” said Edgewood councilmember Jeff Schreiver in a Facebook interview. “Dollar Tree will remain open during construction. At some point the Kroger company will update the facade of the old building to match the new one.”
Schreiver said Kroger has not been deterred by Dollar Tree not wanting to move, and they plan to construct a separate building, with a pharmacy, along with a drive through, located toward the opposite end.
“They are actually going to lower the property about 3 feet,” said Schreiver, who remembered how unleashed shopping carts could travel all the way down to the highway. “It is not going to be a super store, though, it probably going to be about the size of the Ft Mitchell Kroger. It will be a good size.”
He went on to say that Kroger plans to install gas pumps where the Pizza Hut is at the front of the property. There will be a new retaining wall about halfway down the lot.
“It is zoned shopping/commercial,” Schreiver explained. “When the Kmart was here the old ordinance that we had allowed 5 1/2 car parking spaces per 1000 feet of leased area. We knew that Kroger would not want that. Back in the spring of 2022 we (the city) changed the ordinance so that it is now 1 car per 300 square feet of leased space. It allows for wider spots, more landscaping, and will make the property overall look better.”
He said there have been a few minor changes in the plans but they should be cleared up soon and the company can begin the demolition of the building this fall or winter.
Councilmember Thelen also confirmed that all the zoning and signing reviews are complete with no issues, but there were some changes on the construction end of the project. Once PDS has the changes, they will issue permits and the project will get the go ahead.
Kroger is planning on starting construction in April or May of 2024. The store is scheduled to be finished sometime in the latter part of 2025.