This is a rendering of the front of what will be the new Kroger Marketplace in Noblesville. (Rendering provided)
Grocer ready to begin full year of new construction & store updates
Submitted
Kroger anticipates another ambitious year of investment in its midwestern stores. The grocer’s Central Division will direct $201 million to new store construction, a major store expansion and the remodeling of numerous existing stores across the region stretching from Defiance, Ohio, to Rolla, Mo.
The investment will be highlighted by the summer opening of the new Kroger Marketplace at 146th Street and Howe Road in Noblesville. The grocer will also begin the enlargement of its existing store at 146th Street and Hazel Dell Crossing in Noblesville. Both projects represent Kroger’s commitment to rapidly growing population centers across Central Division.
“Our company made an impressive commitment to growth in 2025,” said Division President Colleen Juergensen, “and it will continue in this new year. The construction in Indiana will expand our ability to provide fresh, affordable groceries to even more Hoosiers who have been eagerly waiting for their own neighborhood Kroger.”
Work is also underway on a new Kroger Marketplace in Boone County. The construction team broke ground in Zionsville this past November. An adjoining Kroger Fuel Center will be across the street in Whitestown. Engineers are striving for completion of those projects by the end of this year. Later this month, Kroger contractors will break ground to begin a new Marketplace in Crawfordsville, expanding the service available to customers in Montgomery County.
Kroger dedicates nearly $40 million to each new Marketplace project. These buildings exceed 120,000 square feet, the equivalent of two-and-a-half football fields under one roof, to provide an array of services, features, and foods not always possible in existing stores. Crawfordsville, for example, can look forward to a Murray’s Cheese shop, a sushi station, Starbucks and apparel when its store opens in early 2027. In addition to the grocer’s new construction, Kroger will invest millions more in 2026 to remodel 15 existing Central Division stores.
“The investment of more than $200 million is one more demonstration of Kroger’s commitment to the communities we serve,” Juergensen said. “These projects reconfirm our determination to run great stores for our customers and provide great places for our associates to work.”
Kroger’s spending in 2026 will follow more than $60 million in upgrades made at existing stores during 2025. While improving the customer experience is a force behind such projects, engineers also focus on workplace improvements, making the stores more inviting for the division’s 16,000 associates.
New stores and expansion will create new local job opportunities offering good pay, career growth and professional development. For prospective associates, Kroger offers benefits available to part-time and full-time associates interested in furthering their education. They can take advantage of up to $21,000 in reimbursement during their careers with Kroger for an educational pursuit of their choosing, from a GED to a Ph.D.
“We’re honored to provide great jobs,” Juergensen said, “and we know families rely on us for everything from daily meal essentials to the ingredients for special celebrations, so, we’re confident our new investments will make our stores more convenient and even more appealing, making sure Kroger remains the best choice for low prices and high quality whenever customers visit one of our stores.”
