'Murder Kroger' No More: New Store to Anchor Midtown Development

ATLANTA, GA -- The old Kroger on Ponce De Leon Avenue, dubiously called "Murder Kroger" by locals, is no more. Work crews began demolishing the building last week after it closed in October.

Rising in its place will be a new Kroger, this one built around an $188-million mixed-use development with approximately 360,000 square feet of office and retail space.

The new store may not be as easy to label, as locals have become accustomed (Remember "Disco Kroger" on Piedmont Road?) because city officials are betting that the new environs bring a diverse crowd of shoppers, residents and tourists to the area.

Mayor Kasim Reed, on hand for the demolition, said the new development will continue the momentum that Midtown has enjoyed over the past few years.

“We are proud to break ground on 725 Ponce, a development which promises to have a valuable and significant impact on the quality of life in this thriving neighborhood,” Mayor Kasim Reed said in a news release. “This new development will bring more than 2,000 construction jobs and approximately 1,550 permanent office and retail jobs, welcoming a new, diverse population who can enjoy all what the community has to offer.”

The success of Ponce City Market and the adjacent Beltline has made the area a touristy treasure trove for visitors who wish to stay intown. Other developments throughout the Old Fourth Ward, including the rise of Krog Street Market, have revitalized huge swaths of Midtown.

But residents know that crime statistics need to be kept at bay for real image makeovers to take hold.

The "Murder Kroger" label at the Ponce site was both a jab at the local dynamics of the area -- propelled by a business-churning liquor store and the seedy Clermont Hotel nearby -- and the acknowledgement of a couple of actual murders that occurred on the site. But the furious pace of development has dramatically changed the landscape already.

Jamestown Properties bought City Hall East in 2011 for $27 million, paving the way for the monstrous red brick structure to be transformed into Ponce City Market.

The new Kroger and mixed-used development will be built by New City Properties, which is run by Jim Irwin, a former vice president with Jamestown.

Image via Google Street View