The Poncey-Highland chain grocer known for eons as Murder Kroger has an official date with death by closure, and the grim reaper is named 725 Ponce.
The existing Kroger facility, which will vie for the "Beltline Kroger" moniker in the afterlife, will close Oct. 28 and quickly be demolished after 30 years in business on Ponce.
In a press release today, developers said construction will commence immediately thereafter on 725 Ponce, a mixed-use venture "inspired by Brooklyn" that will incorporate a 60,000-square-foot Kroger prototype and the largest new Beltline office component to date. Renderings from developer New City indicate 725 Ponce will rise a dozen stories across the Beltline’s Eastside Trail from Ponce City Market, which tops out at 10 stories.
The fancy new Kroger will boast a direct entrance on the Beltline, an expanded natural and organic foods selection, and the "Click List" option for online grocery ordering, among other amenities. Let's hope it won't include its predecessor's knack for attracting horrible tragedies.
Developers had initially hoped to begin construction in the spring, after 725 Ponce was announced in January. Now, Kroger is projected to open in early 2019, a few months after the office component above.
Speaking of, New City officials said the accompanying Class-A loft office tower will include 360,000 square feet with exposed 13-foot ceilings and multiple, stair-stepped outdoor terraces, which will offer views of the Atlanta skyline, Ponce City Market, and Historic Fourth Ward Park. Below all of that, expect 900 subterranean parking spaces meant for office tenants during the week and Beltline patrons on evenings and weekends.
New City officials also lifted the veil on substantial changes planned for the adjacent Ford Factory property, where they plan to create "a new dedicated BeltLine entrance to [the] building, a public breezeway, and new Beltline-Facing retail spaces inside the existing structure," ostensibly putting it in competition with PCM next door.
Jim Irwin, New City’s president, spearheaded PCM’s redevelopment with Jamestown between 2010 and 2015, before breaking off to found the new company and focus on mixed-use projects in urban settings.
In the release, Irwin noted: "It’s been particularly inspiring to work with Kroger and the team at the Beltline to design an elegant store where it will actually be possible to do your weekly grocery shopping on foot or by bike."
Here’s the latest renderings in full:
- UPDATED: A Definitive (& Mildly Wrong) Map of ATL Kroger Nicknames [Curbed Atlanta]
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