NEWPORT, Ky. — The highly anticipated West Newport Kroger is one step closer to bringing a full-service grocery store back to the neighborhood’s urban core.
On Saturday, May 17, officials from Kroger and the City of Newport joined at the front of the vacant grocery store at a groundbreaking to commemorate the start of the project.
Newport Mayor Tom Guidugli Jr. said the new Kroger will positively affect the west Newport community.
“There were challenges as we went through the process to getting this done, and what it resulted in was a connection with the community, a better project, and something that’s going to serve our residents, our workers and the community well in the future,” he said.
The new Kroger is entering the former Builders Surplus at 20 W. 6th St. in Newport. The hardware store has been vacant since its closure on April 1, 2023. Before Builders Surplus, the building housed a Safeway grocery store.
The Kroger will be 5,800 square feet and feature amenities such as Starbucks, Murray’s Cheese, a wine and spirits store, a pharmacy, and a fuel center. Kroger VP of Merchandising Carson Spangler also said the new store will hire approximately 150 associates.
The project faced hurdles throughout the approval process, mainly related to the addition of a fuel center. In December, the Westside Citizens Coalition, a neighborhood group representing the residents of west Newport, submitted an appeal to the Newport Board of Adjustments regarding the planner’s decision to include a fuel center on the site.
The group had concerns over the grocery store’s potential impact on traffic and safety, the environment and health, property values, and setting a precedent for future nonconforming development. Ultimately, the group rescinded the appeal later in December, essentially green-lighting the project.
Members of the Westside Citizens Coalition joined Newport and Kroger officials at the groundbreaking ceremony.
Commissioner Mike Radwanski told our news partner LINK nky that the new Kroger will be a boon for west Newport, giving residents a grocery store within walking distance.
“This would really be a big advantage for the neighborhood, where now they can walk to a grocery store once again,” Radwanski said. “You know, especially in the basin, I see a lot of folks where they’re walking to the grocery store, even the one up on the hill, so this will be a much simpler, much safer option for folks.”
The West Newport Kroger will be the second within the city, with the other located inside the Newport Pavilion shopping center at 130 Pavilion Pkwy.
This story originally appeared on our partner's website LINK nky.
