Downtown Grosse Pointe Kroger expansion finished

Downtown Grosse Pointe’s Kroger officially opened Sunday after virtually tearing down and rebuilding the grocery store over the last year. “We were warmly received back into the arms of the Grosse Pointe residents,” says Dale Hollandsworth, a spokesman for Kroger Michigan. “I think they really missed their store.” The original goal was for the store to open in mid- to late November, before Thanksgiving, and this was accomplished through its opening last week. The project was basically a re-build of what had been a small, somewhat cramped store.The Cincinnati-based supermarket had planned on adding a second floor to the one-story building, but decided to keep the original footprint and expand the basement area. The whole project tackles 22,000 square feet of interior space and the rear parking lot.The revamped version has a more open shopping area with new aisles and displays. The basement will be turned into a food preparation area and a place for other behind-the-scenes work.Source: Dale Hollandsworth, spokesman for Kroger MichiganWriter: Kristin Lukowski