Kroger is reviving a decade-old plan to build a grocery store near Keller Town Center.
The 100,000-square-foot Kroger Marketplace with a gas station would go up on the northeast corner of Keller Parkway and Rufe Snow Drive, behind a CVS. If the project is approved, Kroger intends to close its 34-year-old store on the southwest corner of that intersection, according to the city.
Nearby homeowner associations and commercial property owners recently received a letter on behalf of Kroger informing them of the company’s intention to apply for a special-use permit, which is required for the project. The letter invites them to a town hall meeting in March to ask questions.
A spokesman for Kroger said the company had “no details to share at this time.” A representative for the city of Keller confirmed Kroger’s interest in building the grocery store on the nearly 18-acre property. As of now, the project is not yet scheduled to go before the council.
More than a decade ago, Kroger got approval from the city to build a two-story grocery store at this same location, 1025 Keller Parkway. The project received backlash from some residents who sent emails, letters and a petition with 118 signatures opposed to bringing a large grocer to the area.
Residents who spoke at a city council meeting on Dec. 1, 2015, expressed concern about traffic, the sale of alcohol near a high school and the concept of a big-box grocer going up on what was at the time the last piece of land available near the town center.
The council approved both a special-use permit and a site plan, but the store was never built and those permits expired.
‘Kroger is very excited’
The letter sent to nearby neighborhoods and businesses says Kroger plans to design the development with four access points — two along Rufe Snow Drive, and two along North Town Center Lane, with limited access to Keller Parkway.
The letter invites those near the property to attend a town hall discussion at 6 p.m. on March 10 at Keller City Hall. The meeting will be hosted by Kroger, not the city.
“We encourage you to attend so that we can present our project and obtain feedback from the public for an open discussion and present an opportunity where questions can be heard and answered,” the letter says. “Kroger is very excited to bring their development into the City of Keller.”
The older Kroger across the intersection opened with fanfare in fall 1992 at a time when Keller — population 14,000 — had only two small, independent grocers: Food Fare and Diamond. The 59,000-square-foot Kroger was one of the largest in Texas at the time. Today, Keller has nearly 50,000 residents.
Kroger has closed older, underperforming stores before and is building Kroger Marketplaces in fast-growing areas like far north Fort Worth, where a Sendera Ranch location broke ground last June. In October, a Marketplace opened along Bonds Ranch Road and U.S. 287.
Related Stories from Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Fousia Abdullahi is a Fort Worth Star-Telegram news reporter who covers suburban cities including Southlake, Colleyville, Grapevine and Keller. She enjoys reading and attending local events. Send tips by email or phone.