‘Murder Kroger’ Redevelopment Very Close To Breaking Ground

Recent permit filings for '725 Ponce' have us reaching for our shopping carts.

Recent permit filings for ‘725 Ponce’ have us reaching for our shopping carts.

(UPDATE Oct. 17, 2016): Murder Kroger To Shutter Oct. 28 To Make Way For 725 Ponce

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725 Ponce, the Kroger-anchored office tower that’s replacing the one-story “Murder Beltine Kroger,” could break ground any day now as City of Atlanta has issued the necessary permits to start demolition.

But a concrete timeline hasn’t been pinned down just yet.

“A groundbreaking date hasn’t been established yet because we’re still working on finalizing the details with Kroger, but we’re getting fairly close,” Jim Irwin, president of New City, told What Now Atlanta in an email Thursday.

New City is the commercial real estate firm working with the grocery giant to develop 725 Ponce.

The $155 million Poncey-Highland mixed-use project was first unveiled in January after the Cincinnati-based chain announced it was rebranding the Ponce grocer as “Beltline Kroger” (infamously known as “Murder Kroger.”)

New City Tuesday filed a building permit application with City of Atlanta for commercial alterations to neighboring Ford Factory Square, the retail portion of the Ford Factory Lofts. As part of the Kroger redevelopment, New City is working with Ford Factory Square to build retail along the Beltline and to add direct connection from the apartment building to the trail.

An estimated $1,500,000 will be spent on interior alterations to existing mercantile space and exterior work for the Beltine connection at Ford Factory Square.

Permits for 725 Ponce have been filed with City of Atlanta dating back as early as March, 2016, but this is the first “commercial alteration” filing for the project.

Up until Tuesday, permits filed have been for items like demolition of the existing Kroger structure (permit has been issued) and land development where 725 Ponce will be constructed (permit is routed for review.)

Here are the latest renderings, site plan:

Developing…

Caleb J. Spivak

Caleb J. Spivak

Caleb J. Spivak

Caleb J. Spivak

12 Responses

  1. Since the Kroger company has renamed this store the “BeltLine Kroger” – why do you continue to use the old nickname, which is offensive to we the neighbors of this store??

      1. To tell people or Kroger to “get over it” as they have renamed the property they own is the height of being a smart ass. What utter gall it must be to insist that a company forgo the attempts to shed an image they didn’t ask for for the property that THEY own. KROGER has every right to name the store whatever they want. Or they can close it up and take the neighborhood jobs away and leave the area with one less grocery option. Then what? will you smart asses call it “Murder vacant space”? What about tagging “Murder” to anything else on that site? If you (who don’t actually own the property) think you have the right to decide on the building name then why don’t you claim “murder city market” or “Murder across the street Whole Foods”? How about changing the “Beltline” to “Murder trail”? Sounds stupid? WELL SO DOES “MURDER KROGER”! And that is something that the community needs to GET OVER IT and accept BELTLINE as the new and more appropriate name.

        1. People can call the Kroger whatever they want. I suspect many do it out of a feeling that the city is changing and leaving room only for the highest income brafkets. Whatever the reason, the attempts to censor opinion and expression only makes the “Murder” nickname stickier. Classic Streisand Effect. Your protest contributes to this. The best thing to do would be to ignore it.

        2. Settle down Eric. You’re correct in saying that Real ATLien (ftfy) is being a smart ass. Welcome to the internet. You are also correct that Kroger has the right to rename their store and also to close it down (really more like rebranding, they aren’t changing the sign over the door). But of course they won’t close their store because they aren’t foolishly reactive. They know the value of the location will continue to grow as the area I live continues to gentrify. The people that live by the store that has a body count of four in the past 25 years can call it whatever they want. A friend of mine refers to Augusta as Disgusta. I don’t defend the city from her, because I didn’t grow up walking in her shoes, so why the hell would I try to tell her that her experience is invalid. Many of us have been swivel-headed every time we’ve ever been to that Kroger and will continue far into the future. Kroger did an admirable job trying to rebrand this store with the interior renovation and connection to the Beltline, and then as if conjured up by apathetic screenwriters, Josh Richey was shot and killed in front of the brightly colored mural of smiling children and flowers. You’re right that Beltline Kroger is a more appropriate name, but only in the sense of decorum.

          1. hahaha It will always be murder kroger regardless of what they want to call it. I can’t believe someone is actually “offended” because people refuse to call it beltline kroger. *eye roll*

            1. As someone wiser than me once said, “You can’t give yourself a nickname.”

              Disco Kroger hasn’t been next to a dance club (Limelight, Rupert’s) in over a decade and it will always be called Disco Kroger. Even if Kroger or the neighbors try to rename it something else.

  2. John is a typical busy body about town who wants to SHAME people into referring to Murder Kroger as beltline Kroger even though the name will never stick because there is no edge to it.

    You know what’s offensive? Gentrification and the ensuing “enlightened” liberal ingrates it attracts who want to change the existing neighborhood to suit THEIR desires. Go home John. The cows are calling.

    1. While im on the page, this rises a big question… where will the displaced locals going to go? I’ve been in Atlanta for 26 years, and I know one things for sure… this new construction is catered to a certain demographic. The majority of the people who live here won’t be able to live here anymore. Westside Atlanta, here we come! Gentrification is amazing to watch.

  3. I like how people get angry…not because of human suffering, but because they want the freedom to make a stale joke without criticism. Fragile self-esteem…so edgy.

  4. “Hells Kitchen” in New York City has been trying to shed its name for the last ten years too “Clinton” Nobody is allowing it and it is forever called “Hells Kitchen” however, this is a 25 block radius in a city and not a stand alone building. Its an area with History and therefore the name “Hells Kitchen” is a part of New York. To keep “Murder Kroger” is not a name that represents that neighborhood. OLD4W is the hottest neighborhood in ATL and with home prices surging and gentrification I think its time Atlanta helps its image by referring to the grocery store with a bit more class.

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