New renderings of 725 Ponce — the mixed-use development going up where a locally famous Kroger once stood — show how drastically different the area will look from its former self.
Developer New City announced in January 2016 plans to demolish the circa-1986 grocery store and, in its place, build a 360,000-square-foot office tower above a replacement Kroger. New City President and founder Jim Irwin led the redevelopment of Ponce City Market when he worked for Jamestown Properties.
Renderings and a 3D fly-through video show multiple terraces and greenspaces situated around the 12-story building, including a green area that covers a large portion of the new Kroger’s roof. That part won’t serve as a public area; it will be a “succulent roof” designed to support sustainability initiatives, according to a spokeswomen.
Another greenspace on the eighth floor roof deck will be designated for office tenants. However, both the second floor Beltline terrace and the plaza beneath will be open for public use.
725 Ponce is expected to open in the first quarter of 2019. Plans call for more than 900 subterranean parking spaces, a "chef-driven restaurant" and a shuttle to MARTA.
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READ: 'Newsagent and boutique bodega' to soon open in Ponce City Market
See New City’s video:
Another anticipated change, which can be seen in the fly-through video at the 1:43 mark, is the secondary portion of the Beltline. The idea is that part will eventually become the Eastside Trail’s permanent pedestrian path, and the existing path will be used for transit in the future.
The whole scene will be extremely different from the lot's previous incarnation. The demolished Ponce de Leon Avenue store known to locals as "Murder Kroger" closed in October 2016, but not before a candlelight vigil planned by locals was held in its parking lot.
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