By Rachel Scofield

Canal Winchester’s plans for a new Kroger Marketplace are moving ahead quickly, with road construction already underway and store construction expected to begin this fall.

Strawser Paving Company began construction in mid-August on the Greengate Boulevard extension, which will connect Diley Road to the existing Greengate Drive. Greengate Boulevard will join Diley Road across from Howe Industrial Parkway.

Of the 17 acres between Greengate Boulevard and Dove Parkway, Kroger will purchase 14.2 acres to build a 118,000-square-foot grocery store, a seven-pump fuel station, and an in-store Starbucks café. Kroger plans to close on the property in September and begin construction in the fall.

“A left turn lane will be added for south bound Diley Road at Greengate Blvd. Left turn lanes already exist at the Dove Parkway and Busey Road intersections,” said Canal Winchester Development Director Lucas Haire. “A traffic signal will also be added at Greengate Blvd/Howe Industrial Parkway and Diley Road intersection.”

Access to the site will include a right-in, right-out entrance from Diley Road between Dove Parkway and Greengate Boulevard. The existing landscaped median on Diley should discourage illegal left turns.

As part of the development, Kroger will plant 396 trees, including 100 evergreen trees behind the store to form a hedge between the property and the neighboring Redwood Apartments.

North of Greengate Boulevard at the corner of Diley and Busey Roads, a mixed-use neighborhood is planned, adding residential and commercial activity to the corridor. The development aligns with the city’s 2023 Community Plan and is designed to complement the surrounding neighborhoods.