Underground Atlanta Developers Get Their Anchor Store

One of the few things that stinks about living in the heart of Atlanta is how hard it can be to find a grocery store that isn’t an inconveniently long drive or walk away.

That conundrum may be solved soon.

According to Atlanta Business Chronicle, WRS Inc. has reached an agreement with an undisclosed large grocery store to serve as the anchor point for the retail portion of the redevelopment of Underground Atlanta.

WRS bought the site in mid-December and announced plans to convert the property into a mixed use development which will contain residential apartments and retail. The South Carolina-based company paid a whopping $25.75 million for the property, the Chronicle said last month.

The deal was a windfall for the City of Atlanta, which bought out the rest of Underground Atlanta’s 88-year lease for $8.8 million in March of 2014. It is hoped that WRS can turn Underground Atlanta into the next redevelopment success story, mirroring the nearby Ponce City Market.

A large grocery store smack dab in the center of the city would be a boon to students at Georgia State and to a lesser extent, Georgia Tech. A new Publix or Kroger so close to the GSU campus will be a boon for students who want to use the superb kitchen facilities in the dorms but don’t want to spend more time driving to the nearest grocery store than they spend on cooking or eating.

The Chronicle’s report doesn’t give any hints as to when an official announcement will be made, but the Atlana Journal-Constitution reported last month that WRS hopes to start turning dirt by 2016.