New Holland Mkt approved, but Kroger 'not official'

GAINESVILLE - Gainesville's Planning and Appeals Board Tuesday night approved annexing 68 acres on the city's east side for a major commercial development but the anchor store name is 'not official'.

In its annexation application Pacolet Milliken Enterprises names Kroger for its New Holland development anchor between Limestone Parkway and White Sulphur Road, but Carolina Holdings spokesman Mike McNicholas wanted the name withheld.

"We've been very generic in our concept here and I didn't want to be too specific in the application report relative to the name of the tenant," McNicholas said. "We don't want to get too definitive and go announcing a lot of stuff so we've asked that it called a major national retailer."

At City Council's April 17th meeting Planning Director Rusty Ligon announced the development and identified Kroger as the 'major national retailer' to cover 123,000 square feet. McNicholas, after his presentation to the Planning and Appeals Board, said it's not official that Kroger would be the anchor store but board members officially approved the application unanimously.

McNicholas said the project grew from a study that took several years and a resulting comprehensive plan. He said construction is scheduled to begin in September with plans to open the big anchor retailer and other restaurants and stores on the site by February 1st 2014.

According to McNicholas the first phase investment is around $30-million. The anchor tenant would employ 140 people with more jobs to come as more stores move in and open up.

The property was annexed with a Planned United Development zoning and Vice President of Economic Development for the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce Tim Evans New Holland Market is just what the doctor ordered for Gainesville's economy.

"For a lot of people that is the primary way they enter Gainesville whether they're coming to the hospital or downtown," Evans said. "They're coming in from Exit 24 and that makes that entrance that much better. It has quality, it has scale and it's providing services to a part of Gainesville that currently does not have a tremendous amount of retail."