The Kroger Co. will spend $1 million to renovate its Vine Street store in Over-the-Rhine next year, giving a boost to what Mayor Charlie Luken calls “the most important street in the city.”

        Kroger Co. executives will announce details of the inside-and-out remodeling this morning. It's one of the most significant private investments in the riot-torn neighborhood in years.

The exterior of the Over-the-Rhine Kroger store on Vine Street. (Ernest Coleman photo) | ZOOM |

        “It's both a business decision and a civic decision,” said Kroger chairman and CEO Joseph A. Pichler. “From a business point of view, the store is in need of remodeling.

        “On the civic side, we see this as an opportunity to help with the mayor's plan to build a corridor on Vine Street from downtown to the hospital complex. We hope this decision will encourage others to invest on Vine Street and elsewhere in Over-the-Rhine.”

        Kroger has not asked the city for any tax breaks or other incentives.

        Meanwhile, Kroger execs and city officials continue decade-long talks about possible sites for a store in the central business district. Mr. Pichler said any such store would require a significant city investment in parking and other improvements.

        Kroger, the nation's largest grocery store chain, has its headquarters just four blocks south of the Over-the-Rhine location, which the company euphemistically calls “Downtown North.”

        The 12,000-square-foot store is one of the smallest of the company's 2,429 stores, which average almost 55,000 square feet.

        That won't change after the renovation. Given the size of the property and the already cramped parking — just 17 spaces — there's nowhere left to expand, Kroger management said.

        But a reconfiguration of the store should allow for more shelf space and a somewhat broader product selection. Outside, changes to the facade will include new lighting, new signs and a new canopy.

        The store will be closed for six weeks beginning in January while the work is done.

        Mr. Luken said he hopes the high-profile project will get people to start looking at Over-the-Rhine differently.

        “I'm not naive about the task we have,” he said. “But we're on the right track. It's cleaner. There's more police. There's a theater going in. There are 30 new facades. This is all helpful.”

        Downtown boosters are thrilled.

        “There's more to this than just a grocery store in Over-the-Rhine,” said Kathy Schwab, residential adviser to Downtown Cincinnati Inc. “It's almost like a challenge. Kroger is doing their share. If everyone takes a little piece of Over-the-Rhine and fixes it up, just think of what we can have in a few years.”

        She said there's plenty of work being done in the neighborhood — slowly, quietly, one building at a time. But Kroger's fix-up could give the street its most noticeable improvement.

        The store's loyal stable of shoppers hail from the West End, downtown and surrounding neighborhoods. They say the store isn't as bad as it looks from the outside, but could use a general facelift.

        “If we didn't have a Kroger's downtown, where would we go?” said Shanta Wright of Mount Auburn. “We'd have to go to Corryville, and a lot of people don't have cars and can't afford the cab fare. And what about the elderly people?”

        She said a fixed-up Kroger could restore some pride in the neighborhood.

        “It will take a little time. You can't do everything overnight,” Ms. Wright said. “After the riots, people have to get used to coming back down here again. They've been afraid.”

        E-mail gkorte@enquirer.com

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