New Aldi grocery store will occupy $10 million Ooltewah center

White Oak Crossing, a $10 million shopping center going up in Ooltewah, will include a new Aldi.
White Oak Crossing, a $10 million shopping center going up in Ooltewah, will include a new Aldi.

Aldi is growing its Chattanooga area footprint again with a planned market in Ooltewah as grocers continue to seed more stores in the region and drive up competition.

Aldi will bring its low-cost model to a new $10 million shopping center going up on Lee Highway known as White Oak Crossing.

Jeff Londis, president of developer White Oak Holding, said Aldi is using a 1.9-acre parcel in the 10-acre center for its store.

photo An Aldi in Fayetteville is shown

"We're excited to have them be a part of it," he said.

Troy Marshall, vice president of Aldi's Mt. Juliet division, said the 10,000-square-foot store will open this summer.

"Aldi is committed to bringing customers the highest-quality products at the lowest possible prices in a simple and easy-to-navigate shopping environment," he said about the store that will employ 10 people.

Aldi already has stores on Lee Highway and Highway 153 in Chattanooga and on Battlefield Parkway in Fort Oglethorpe.

The Chattanooga area grocery market has seen an array of new activity over the past year. Food City bought the 29 Bi-Lo stores in the area and plans to spend between $40 million to $50 million on the units over the next three years, according to Steven Smith, that chain's chief executive.

Also, Wal-Mart continues to expand its presence in the market, opening about a half dozen of its Neighborhood Markets in the region in the past year. It additionally started work on a new supercenter off Highway 58.

In addition, Houchens Industries of Bowling Green, Ky., has announced plans to open at least three smaller grocery stores in the Chattanooga area.

White Oak Crossing is located on Lee Highway about a half mile from Interstate 75 and not far from where the Cambridge Square mixed-used development is going up.

"We're doing site work now," Londis said about the site that formerly held Ooltewah Elementary School.

The co-founder of a couple of health care companies with which he's no longer involved said he sees room for up to 10,000 square feet of retail space in the center. Also, the center will hold up to 70,000 square feet of office space, he said.

Ben Pitts of Herman Walldorf Commercial, representing the shopping center developer, said there's a lot of new housing going up nearby, and White Oak Crossing will serve those households.

Also, plans are for the center to hold new medical offices, for which there's "good demand," Pitts said.

Londis said the site will house other professional office space and a green area where people can have lunch.

Dirt work started last November, and Londis said he foresees the center as "a multi-year project."

He likes the economic development taking place in the area, such as a new FedEx Ground distribution center going up just off I-75 at nearby Apison Pike.

"Now is the time to make further investment and development in a way consistent with the trajectory of other developments in and around Ooltewah and Collegedale," Londis said.

Contact Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6318.

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