New Grocery Store Approved on South Side of Locust Grove

The Locust Grove council approved a developer’s plan for a new grocery store within the city. The Shops at Indian Creek will be at highway 42 and Tanger Blvd.

The property required rezoning to allow commercial development. The city also adopted a master sign plan and architectural renderings for the project.

The Shops at Indian Creek

The Shops at Indian Creek will be a new grocery-anchored development. The project consists of thirty acres. The land is at the southwest corner of highway 42 and Tanger Blvd. It will have a 48,000 square foot grocery store, auxiliary shops and outparcels. The site plan has seven outparcels.

The applicant, Venture South Investments, has not shared the anchor tenant. They previously built the new Publix stores in Ola and Kelleytown. The site plan and building renderings are also similar to those projects.

The company estimates one year for engineering and permitting. They also estimated one year to build the store. Update: land clearing began on Monday, August 12, 2024. The new grocery is expected to open during the fourth quarter of 2025.

Prior to voting on the request, the city added some conditions. They include the following:

• increase the buffer from 50’ to 60’ alongside residential uses, and install a privacy fence behind the store,
• coordinate with Locust Grove Police Department to install flock camera(s) within the development,
• coordinate with Georgia DOT to install a traffic light at state route 42 and Tanger Blvd, if signal warrants are met, and preserve right of way for future widening work, and
• install an 8’-wide multiuse path to connect with the existing path on Tanger Blvd.

The council unanimously approved the request at their May 1 meeting. They held a public hearing about the project two weeks earlier in April. The project can now proceed forward.

Jackson Street Gas Station

Also in the vicinity, the council approved another rezoning request at SR 42 and Jackson Street. This approval came at the April 3 meeting. The applicant intends to construct a new gas station at the northeast corner of the intersection. Their request was consistent with the city’s land use map.

The Locust Grove council voted 4-1-1 on the gas station request. Councilman Boone voted in opposition, and Councilman Breedlove recused himself.

Featured image shows the Shops at Indian Creek site plan. Phillips Architecture photo.