Merchants at the Peachtree Crossing shopping center have a unique, however temporary, solution for filling the vacant “baby Kroger” location.

The store, vacant for months, is proposed to host a public art project in the coming weeks. Local schoolchildren will be enlisted to create art for display on the former grocery store’s windows.
The program is dubbed “Art for the Heart.”
The merchants group will provide the large pieces of paper for the students. Once the art is on display, merchants will have boxes in their stores so the community can vote on the best entry.

The program was discussed Monday night by the Peachtree City Development Authority, which has been encouraging local shopping centers to organize merchants groups so they can plan how to improve their business.

The Kedron Village shopping center business owners have banded together to host a special Christmas event tonight that includes a golf cart decorating contest and prize raffles along with Santa Claus and Chick-fil-A’s Santa Cow. The event will also host the Peachtree City Police Department’s Light Up The Night toy drive.

Meanwhile, another goal of the development authority is to attract businesses to the city and specifically to work on filling empty storefronts just like the Baby Kroger store. Local resident Caren Russell has been working to try and attract The Fresh Market company to fill the Kroger space, and she spoke briefly with the authority Monday night.

Russell said many Peachtree City residents eat out quite a bit or need something to take home quickly for dinner. She said The Fresh Market would be a good fit for the city.

DAPC member Mark Hollums said he heard secondhand from grocery companies that the economy was the deciding factor not to come to Peachtree City. He noted that market share studies have shown the city’s grocery needs are currently being met.

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