For well over a year, several communities in Southeast Atlanta waged a battle against a big-box development largely believed to be Walmart.
But the developer behind the project has news: Walmart is out, and Kroger is in.
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.
District 1 Councilwoman Carla Smith said she was excited by the news.
“I think my community will really like and appreciate this,” she said. “It just goes to show that if you speak, sometimes people listen.”
Last year many residents of Grant Park and neighboring communities battled with Fuqua Development over the project. Residents have said the development is in conflict with the area's master plan and vision of the Atlanta Beltline that they've long hoped would help revitalize their historic communities.
But Fuqua already had the necessary permitting to move forward with the project that will convert a concrete factory into a retail destination.
District 1 Councilwoman Carla Smith attempted to block the deal last year by changing the zoning of the parcel. The move landed the city in litigation, but the parties ultimately compromised on a new plan.
Fuqua Development ultimately altered the design to accommodate some of the neighborhood concerns. The latest plan calls for a mixed-use development with retail, offices, and residential housing, including for seniors.
Lauren Rocereta, president of the Grant Park Neighborhood Association, said the community wasn’t necessarily against a Walmart. They wanted a mixed-use development with housing and commercial space, which wasn’t part of Fuqua’s original plan.
She believes residents will be happy with the finished product.
“We were able to bring a lot of people together and became educated together,” she said, then praising the developers for adjusting their plans. “A rapport developed over time and we were able to get some good things done.”
Fuqua said he hopes to begin construction of the Glenwood development this fall.
Walmart and Kroger representatives could not be immediately reached for comment.
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