The redevelopment agreement with Groceryland needs approval from Springfield City Commissioners and was expected to be presented to them during Tuesday evening’s city commission meeting.
The former Kroger closed its doors March 2020 leaving the area a food desert for residents who lacked transportation and other means to shop at other Springfield grocers. The closure affected an estimated 22,000 people.
The property was given to the city as officials worked on ways to entice another grocer to serve that part of the city while looking at larger redevelopment efforts.
The expectation is that Groceryland will invest $2 million into property improvements including a new roof, ceiling, lighting, fixtures, flooring, parking lot, building façade as well as landscaping, signage and miscellaneous equipment.
Those renovations are expected to start in June.
The new grocery store is expected to be open for business by the end of the year and that project will create 60 new jobs and generate $1.2 million in payroll, according to a news release from the City of Springfield.
Groceryland’s president is Ravindra Patel who along with local physician Vipul Patel own several grocery stores in the Dayton and Columbus areas as well as four retail centers and gas stations in Ohio.
“As a physician, the first step to consider is the point of need. Home, hospital or grocery store, I am ready to meet the community of Springfield right where they are. Groceryland is just a look inside of the greater vision I have,” Dr. Patel said.
Area Realtor Sunny Dhingra, with Always Sunny Realty, partnered with Dr. Patel to bring the project to fruition.
“This is a perfect example of a private, public partnership. The residents of the community really needed a grocery store on that end of town and it was due to the hard work and collaboration of the city, the Land Bank, Dr. Patel and (Ravindra) Patel that this project is coming to fruition.” Dhingra said.
Following Kroger leaving its South Limestone location in March 2020, the city worked with developer Larry Dillin president of Dillin LLC.
Dillin conducted public input sessions that highlighted the need for bringing in a grocery as a top priority.
Springfield officials also entered into a redevelopment agreement with Dillin LLC this year to work on a project titled Four Corners that aimed to redevelop the area where the former Kroger store was located in.
In addition to finding a new grocer for the site, the Four Corners project also aimed to focus on transforming the property, complete with a garden and space for additional entrepreneurs who would preferably be from the south side of the city.
City officials noted in a news release on Tuesday that they would continue working with Dillin on revitalization opportunities along the South Limestone corridor.
It is unclear what impact the announcement regarding the opening of a new grocery store at the site will have on the Four Corners project as Dillin did not respond to requests for comment as of Tuesday afternoon.
By the numbers
$2M: The amount of money investors putting into new grocery at former South Limestone Kroger site
13: The number of months the Kroger building has been vacant
22,000: Estimated of number of people affected by Kroger’s closure
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