Exterior Improvements Underway at ‘Murder Kroger’ [Rendering]

Renovations to transform Poncey-Highland grocer into "Beltline Kroger."

Renovations to transform Poncey-Highland grocer into “Beltline Kroger.”

Even national grocery chain Kroger is jumping on the Atlanta Beltline bandwagon.

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Kroger is moving forward with plans to overhaul its store that runs parallel to the Beltline, at 725 Ponce de Leon Ave., the grocery chain’s Atlanta division Wednesday announced in a press release.

“This Kroger has served the Old Fourth Ward, Midtown, Poncey-Highland, Virginia-Highland and surrounding areas for three decades,” Glynn Jenkins, director of communications and public relations for Kroger’s Atlanta Division, said in the release.

“The site improvements continue the investments we’ve already made on the inside of the store, and we expect the opening of Beltline access will give our customers – whether they’re on foot, bicycle, skates or however they choose to travel – another easy alternative to get to the store. We’re very excited about this project at Beltline Kroger and its potential to bring new levels of convenience to the community.”

Aside from site improvements that will give pedestrians and bicyclers access to the grocery store from the Beltline, as well as more trees, new landscaping, a new parking surface, a repainted store and more, the Poncey-Highland Kroger is hopeful Atlantans will start referring to the store as “Beltline Kroger,” instead of its widely-accepted moniker “Murder Kroger.”

In March, Kroger updated its interior including an expanded pharmacy, new lighting, “eco-friendly fixtures” and other upgrades throughout the store.

Here’s a rundown of the exterior improvements:

  • Bicycle / pedestrian ramp connecting the Beltline to Beltline Kroger;
  • Bicycle rack for locked parking;
  • Bicycle repair station;
  • New curbs and sidewalks – including paved sidewalk access to Ponce de Leon Ave.;
  • New trees – including the addition of 45 Allee Elm and Forest Pansy Red Bud trees;
  • New landscaping;
  • Water quality pond – located near the center of the parking lot to collect and filter water before it enters the storm drain system;
  • Brighter, more environmentally-friendlier LED parking lot lighting; and
  • Repaved parking surface – wrapping from the front of the building facing Ponce de Leon Avenue to the back of the building facing North Ave.

Construction on the store, which originally opened in 1984, is expected to be complete in November.

Will you start calling this store “Beltline Kroger,” or will it always be “Murder Kroger” for you? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

Caleb J. Spivak

Caleb J. Spivak

Caleb J. Spivak

Caleb J. Spivak

11 Responses

  1. After discovering their internal renovations a couple of months ago, I noted what they really needed now was to redo the parking lot – it, as much as anything else appears uninviting and old/uncared for. Now seeing they are not only going to improve it cosmetically, but functionally is more than I hoped for. The new geometry at the entrance will be a great improvement to remove the vehicle movement conflicts that exist now.

    It still is quite a bit more parking than is actually needed for the property even accounting for the Ford Factory retail and Green’s; they could actually add an outbuilding along the eastern edge just behind Green’s to support additional retail fronts.

    1. That parking lot is also used by residents of the Ford Factory Lofts. On the weekends that lot gets completely full because of people parking for the bars in the area, although technically they’re supposed to be towed. Dunno if they’ve gotten any better at enforcing that since I’ve moved, but I remember coming home late at night and not being able to find a spot. I even got towed once because I parked in an overflow row that formed between two of the designated rows 🙁 Anyway, yeah, it usually is too much empty space, and it’d be nice if they were better about ensuring residents had designated parking spots, so that they could get rid of some of the excess parking. Empty parking lots are such an eyesore, and such an inefficient use of space.

  2. approx. $2M upgrade & no mention of increased security or cameras. This will certainly be the best looking “Murder Kroger” in the country.

  3. That’s like trying to make us Atlantans call Stewart Ave. Metropolitan Pkwy. with a stupid street sign change. It’s not going to happen. It’ll always be Stewart Ave.; it’ll always be Murder Kroger.

  4. I say lets give them the benefit of the doubt and call them Beltline Kroger. That is, until, well….. the next… murder.

  5. So Kroger owns the shopping center thus is paying for these improvements? Isn’t that rare? Usually they are the big leased tenant.

  6. Reading the comments here it seems that even with the substantial investment some will continue with the negative comments. We live in Dunwoody/Sandy Springs area and serious crimes happen.

    On another note, I wish Kroger would train their managers to maintain the cleanliness of the parking lots continuously by sweeping throughout the day and night until close and increasing the security lighting.

  7. Kroger sucks anyway so who cares what you call it? It’s still going to have the same bad service and crappy produce, bakery and meat as all the Krogers do. It’s really a shame how far down hill they have gone over the last decade. And what will they do to chase away the panhandlers? They’ll make it pretty and nice and in two months it’ll be trashed by drunk 20 something’s, hookers and bums. The bike repair station, nice landscaping and pond will be gone. That’s Atlanta!!

  8. Interesting note, no murder ever reported in this Kroger. One did happen in the early 1990s in the parking lot and one body found in a car left in the parking lot. One murder a few years ago in a nearby building. We’ve always called it the Ponce Kroger, but I like Beltline Kroger too. The Beltline access and parking renovations should be a big improvement, thanks Kroger. And thanks for investing in our less upscale neighborhoods in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s when the other chains would not.

  9. Thanks Kroger for making these changes,its badly needed. I like the bike station! Problem is abundance of hookers, homeless, muggers, druggies, stabbers, The police need to come by once in a while as it is just a matter of time for another MURDER KROGER!

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