Collegiate Times

The recent approval of Ordinance 1450 has forced many businesses to review their expansion and construction plans, including Kroger in Gables Shopping Center on South Main.

The Kroger store on South Main is being considered to expand 20,000 square feet, making the building over 85,000 square feet.

Ordinance 1450 regulates that any structure in Blacksburg over 80,000 square feet must apply for a special use permit and the Blacksburg Town Council has the right to determine if the structure follows certain regulations.

These regulations deal with light and noise pollution, traffic patterns, pedestrian access and other standards of the sort.

Michael Gay, the engineering consultant working with Kroger, said that this expansion has been in the works for four to five years.

A few of the structures in the surrounding area will be demolished in order to rebuild, including a bank structure and the ABC store, which would be relocated inside of Kroger, Gay said.

If the plans are approved, there would also be a new curb, landscaping, street trees and a single entrance in the back that will be mainly for delivery trucks.

There would also be a drive through pharmacy window, with an exit on Country Club.
Even through all of the construction, the center will be “picking up green space, not a lot, but about 1000 square feet,” said Gay. He also said there will be about 35 feet of trees mainly to screen parking.

The Kroger developers were sure to stay within requirements for green space. Andrew Warren, a development administrator for the town of Blacksburg, said there needs to be one tree every 30 feet, one tree for every 10 parking spots, and 10 percent canopy coverage of the parking lot.

“This is an excellent opportunity to expand the store and improve it,” said Carried Pugh, a real estate agent for Kroger.

Tom Poole, a facility engineer with Kroger, said that the construction will include putting in sky lights for conservation purposes.

“If there is enough natural light, we can cut the back lighting by 50 percent,” Poole said.
Energy use would also be cut by 30 percent, through the use of exit LED lights and motion sensors, Poole said.

Within the store, several aspects will be changing. Produce and the check lanes will be relocated. There will be a new floral shop, Nature’s Market, Kitchen Place, meat and seafood section, and restrooms and break room area, Poole said.

“Every department is expanded,” he said about the plan.

The construction will hopefully start before the end of the year, Pugh said, and is about a 48 to 50 week construction process, Poole said..

Blacksburg residents at the meeting mentioned a few possible problems, and suggestions, for the Kroger representatives and planners.

The positioning of the traffic lights on South Main and the entrances to Kroger promote the use of Country Club Road, which is a problem for some of the residents.

Currently, the intersection next to the BP station for the Kroger shopping center on South Main is an awkward maneuver for motorists. The townspeople asked the planners to think about fixing the entrance and the parking lot to make it easier to access Kroger from the traffic light on South Main, rather than using Country Club.

Residents suggested that more entrances lanes from the traffic light would be helpful.

Another suggestion from residents is the creation of another Blacksburg Transit stop closer to the store. Currently, there is one near Lefty’s restaurant and another one near El Guadalupe’s. This is an extended distance between the stores to Kroger, which many residents feel is a problem for people using the BT to get to Kroger.