The following story originally appeared in the February 12 issue of Soapbox

The Kroger Company is currently accepting bids for an expanded East Price Hill store that will allow them to offer more product lines to the neighborhood.

Construction of the new 64,000-square-foot store, which was designed by Cole + Russell Architects, is expected to be completed by early November.

The new Kroger will include new product offerings such as a drive-thru pharmacy, a photo lab and a Nature's Market organic food section.

Given the pedestrian-oriented nature of Warsaw Avenue, the exterior site plan was designed with a new streetscape, new crosswalks, improved lighting, a new bus stop and a taxi stand.

According the Kroger Real Estate Manager Kelvin Peyton, the neighborhood's diversity dictated the need to replace the 25-year-old store.

"There's a void for customers in Price Hill and surrounding areas to get the products they want," Peyton said. "It's a diverse community over there. To be able to give the diverse customer base what they want, we have to be bigger than we are now."

The current store will close in mid-March, with demolition by the end of the month.