It’s long been expected! The construction of the new Kroger, after months of anticipation, is coming to an end. Though this is great news, some may ask, why is Kroger moving its facility just down the road?

Kroger manager Ms. Dorsey responded, “We are moving to expand and offer more products to our community.” It seems as though this won’t be hard at all; the entirety of the complex boasts 130,000 square feet of land. Over 100,000 square feet of the commercial property will be the Kroger Superstore; the remainder will hold space for up to 3 restaurants and 10 businesses.

This grand addition to Madison has also brought new jobs to the community. Ms. Dorsey stated that 75 positions were still open to the public [as of the latest job fair on August 9, 2016.]

But despite the hype that surrounds the new facility, at what cost did it come at? Bob Jones freshman and former resident of the Park Meadow Subdivision Maren Stuach experienced some trouble when the construction first began. “When I lived there, it was very annoying,” she said that, “[the construction of the new Kroger] added more traffic to the roads because they had to close [Wall Triana Highway].”

She also recalled a time in which the commotion woke her family up at 5:30 one morning. “It was really bad; the construction lasted all day, and it was very loud.”

Others don’t enjoy that fact that Kroger is moving its location around the corner. Mrs. Panagos, a teacher at Bob Jones, said that she’s going to the miss the Kroger on Hughes because it’s right down the road from the school.

She said that having to go around the corner will be an inconvenience for her, but, despite this, she appreciates the contribution that Kroger is making towards the community of Madison. “I am happy to see all of the job fairs that they’re having; it will help out a lot of people in the community,” she commented.

With this, another question arises: what’s going to happen to the old building? According to Ms. Dorsey, Kroger is not sure how it will be utilized at the moment. There have been rumors ranging from the Public Library moving in to Big Lots coming to occupy the space. Only time will tell as the city of Madison progresses.

In the meantime, eager shoppers await the opening scheduled for late this summer. “I’m excited about the new Kroger opening up,” said Vananda Hampton, a mother of two children. “I’m a Kroger shopper, and I’m looking forward to all of the things that it will have to offer.”

According to Ms. Dorsey, the new Kroger is expected to have its debut on September 7, 2016.