“The city has been working with Kroger over the past two years to rehabilitate and upgrade the former K-Mart location,” the city said in a social media post.
According to a city staff report, Kroger would also build a 14-pump fueling station on the northwest corner of the site in the Springboro Plaza Shopping Center, purchased by Kroger in 2019.
“The store will include a Kroger pharmacy and a Starbucks. The Kmart garden center on the east/South Pioneer Boulevard frontage would be removed and replaced with a drive-through window for the pharmacy and queuing for Kroger PickUp (formerly Clicklist),” according to the staff report.
“Plans for the remaining retail spaces in the shopping center, including the existing 56,065-square foot grocery store, are incomplete at this time. Kroger has indicated that construction on the new grocery store would begin in early 2021 with the new store opening projected for November 2021,” the report added.
Kroger, which built a new 99,000-square foot store just north of Springboro at Austin Landing in 2012, did not respond to queries about the project.
A Chinese restaurant and nail salon currently operate in the shopping center. It was unclear if or how Kroger’s plans would affect the existing businesses.
Springboro leaders want to improve the shopping center near the city’s eastern gateway, Mayor John Agenbroad said.
“We want to get that building filled,” the mayor said.
Since the closing of a Marsh supermarket in Franklin, residents of Franklin and Carlisle also shop at the Springboro Kroger, Agenbroad said.
“It’s a lot easier to go in and out of than Austin Landing,” he said.
Agenbroad said incentives were under discussion.
On Wednesday, the Springboro Planning Commission is to review the site plan for the new store.
The virtual meeting begins at 6 p.m. Approval could come during the commission’s September meeting.
Work session planned
The Springboro Planning Commission work session is to be held via a Zoom video conference. The public should submit comments to ann.burns@cityofspringboro.com until 12 p.m. Wednesday. The meeting is open to the public to observe at www.zoom.us. Meeting ID 831 8897 2048. Password 66522.2 Dial in 1-312-626-6799. No public comments will be heard during the work session unless submitted by the deadline stated above. For more information, call 937-748-4343.