RINGGOLD, Ga. – Leaders in Catoosa County say a supermarket chain wants to build in Ringgold, but it isn’t in any hurry.
“I feel like from our meeting with them they’re very interested in coming to Catoosa County, but their time frame is not a rush,” said Randall Peters, chairman of the Catoosa County Economic Development Authority.
Speaking after the authority’s meeting Tuesday,Mr. Peters declined to identify the grocer, but Ringgold Mayor Joe Barger previously has said the city and county are in negotiations with Cincinnati-based Kroger Co.
Attempts to reach a Kroger spokeswoman late Tuesday were not successful.
Kroger has stores in Dalton, Calhoun, Rome and Cartersville in Georgia but not in the Chattanooga metropolitan area.
In March, Mr. Barger said the city was in talks with Kroger to put a supermarket on private land along Battlefield Parkway inside the Ringgold city limits. He said talks were under way, but the city is waiting for the grocer to make a decision.
“It’s very likely, but it’s not signed until it is signed,” Mr. Barger said Tuesday.
Catoosa County Commissioner Jim Cutler said the grocer is looking at 2012 to open.
“They’re not in a huge hurry to build,” he said. The commissioner said he knew of Catoosa residents who drive to Dalton to shop at the Kroger.
Mr. Cutler said he was told the store would be a “super” Kroger and the developer would plan to add another box store alongside it.
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