Fuqua: Kroger, not Walmart, will be the Glenwood Park development's anchor tenant
Who said anything about a Walmart!
It's been nearly two years since Atlanta developer Jeff Fuqua first shared his proposed suburban-style project in southeast Atlanta along the Atlanta Beltline. During much of that time, nearby residents have feared that a Walmart would be the big-box development's anchor tenant.
But fear not! It appears that a Walmart won't be built near the smart-growth project. Atlanta developer Jeff Fuqua has announced that Kroger, and not Walmart, will likely be the anchor tenant in the suburban-style retail complex located at 800 Glenwood Avenue along the Atlanta Beltline.
The AJC's Katie Leslie has the details about the potential 143,000 square-foot anchor tenant:
Jeff Fuqua, of Fuqua Development, has long said a major retailer was critical to the project that he and partner Heather Correa are building on Glenwood Avenue near Grant Park.
“And from the start as well, there was a widespread, but incorrect public assumption that Walmart would definitely be the anchor for the project,” he said in an email.
Fuqua confirmed that he was in talks with Walmart but says the company was also negotiating with other retailers.
Fuqua Development is now “very close” to an agreement with the Kroger Corporation to serve as the anchor tenant for the Glenwood project, he said.
Grant Park Neighborhood Association President Lauren Rocereta says some community members are pleased with the announcement and, to a large degree, relieved that Walmart won't be the anchor tenant. Earlier this week, Fuqua met with her and other Grant Park residents about potential Kroger deal.
"It's got some Beltline elements," Rocereta tells CL. "There are going to be some structures that are four-or-five stories tall with mixed-use. But you still have a parking lot and a sprawling big box. Those are things we were resigned to a while back whether it was Kroger, Target, or Walmart. Would we rather see more urban design and urban development? Yes. But we're happy with the anchor tenant."
The announcement comes three months after Fuqua, Atlanta City Councilwoman Carla Smith, and neighborhood residents worked together to change the 20-acre property's land use to eventually allow for residential and office units to be built close to the shopping center.
Fuqua is planning to break ground on the Glenwood Park development later this fall.