Downtown Cincinnati's first grocer in almost 40 years is ...

CINCINNATI — Kroger is opening an urban two-level store in a revitalized downtown Cincinnati, developer GBBN announced earlier this month, which marks the the return of a central downtown grocery store to the area for the first time since 1969.



“This is a sign that the renaissance in downtown and Over-the-Rhine is here to stay and accelerate,” stated Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley.



The 45,000-square-foot store will be different from other stores in the region in several ways, the most significant is that it will have a second-floor bar and food hall with a terrace, four or five third-party restaurants and vendors offering ready-to-eat products, the Cincinnati Business Courier reported earlier this week as part of a comprehensive report of the story.



“I think the opening reflects the growth in urban development,” Leon Loewenstine, chief investment strategist at RiverPoint Capital Management, told the Cincinnati Business Courier. “The opening will meet a longtime need for a new grocery store in downtown Cincinnati and allow residents to stay downtown and shop downtown. My guess is this is going to continue around the country and Kroger wants to be there to fill that void and meet that need as a leader in the industry.”