“They came to the city and asked to expand the building,” Hundt said. “They don’t need all of the parking that they have, and they would like to expand. In order to do that, they need a rezoning.”
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There are 13 Aldi stores in the Dayton area, including the Kettering’s Dorothy Lane location.
“We’re excited to share that we’re updating the Aldi store experience,” said Sarah Brown, Springfield division vice president for Aldi, regarding the company’s growth.
Aldi, which has been operating since 1976, announced plans in 2017 to spend $1.6 billion to remodel its stores by 2020 and $3.4 billion to expand store count to more than 2,500 by the end 2022. The growth plan is expected to add 25,000 jobs nationwide, according to a statement from store officials.
The grocery chain, known for its prices, will upgrade the look of stores and expand some spaces. Remodeled stores will have a modern design, open ceilings, natural lighting and environmentally friendly features such as energy-saving refrigeration and LED lighting.
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Noting that Kettering Planning Commission has approved the request, City Manager Mark Schwieterman explained to city council that the rezoning request would take the property from its current status, economic development overlay No. 18, to a B, business designation.
“This will assist the Aldi’s store on Dorothy Lane in their expansion,” he said.
Council then unanimously approved the request.
An engineering and architectural firm from Columbus, MS Consultants, is handling the expansion plans for the Kettering store. A spokeswoman for the company said the rezoning request brings Aldi into the more current business designation before the planned expansion gets underway.
“This will get them up to code before they do that addition,” she said. “It is typical with this style of store that there will be close to a 20-foot expansion allowing them to increase the product lines for customers and bring more space into the building.”
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Aldi did not announce when the expansion will take place or if it will bring more jobs to the location.
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