Kroger Marketplace breaks ground in Little Elm...

By Penny Rathbun, prathbun@acnpapers.com

Published: Thursday, September 30, 2010 4:25 PM CDT

Little Elm town officials and members of the Kroger management team turned shovels of dirt at a groundbreaking for a new Kroger Marketplace on Thursday.

Dirt flew at FM 423 and Eldorado Parkway after prayer, a color guard and speeches.

“Projects like this in today's economy don't come about in a silo. We have a great Kroger groundbreaking because of a great partnership between the town, Kroger and Rosebriar,” Little Elm Town Manager Ivan Langford said.

The store will be about 123,000 square feet, twice the size of Kroger Signature stores. The project will create 300 new jobs. The building will be completed in late summer of 2011.

Director of Consumer Affairs Gary Huddleston for the Kroger Co. explained why people should patronize the new store.

“Good prices, variety shopping experience, the Marketplace store is the Signature store plus products customers want for the home.”

The new Marketplace store will also include a Fred Meyers jewelry store.

“I reiterate partnerships. Without those this project would not have happened,” Little Elm Mayor Charles Platt said.

Jason Olson of the Little Elm Economic Development Corporation said the project represents a $24.2 million investment by Kroger and Rosebriar, project developers.