After years of sitting empty and collecting code complaints, the long‑vacant Kroger at 1122 Powers Ferry Road is finally getting a workout of its own.
On Wednesday, Marietta City Council approved a plan to convert the circa‑1982 supermarket into an EōS Fitness gym, roughly a 48,000‑square‑foot workout center, while layering on conditions aimed squarely at cleaning up the tired property.
As reported by Atlanta News First, Atlanta‑based Habersham Partners will renovate the shuttered store, but the green light comes with strings attached. The council wants a refurbished parking lot with tree‑lined islands and a council‑approved landscape plan locked in before construction starts, and expects the old 1980s site to be brought up to current codes as part of the deal.
What the city packet requires
According to the Marietta Department of Development Services staff review, the developer is requesting two variances for the project:
- A reduction of the required 40‑foot screening buffer next to residentially zoned property
- Relief from the rule that demands a landscaped island for every 12 consecutive parking spaces
The staff report notes that the building is about 48,199 square feet and has been vacant since Kroger relocated in 2023. It also points out that “the site plan provided contains very little detail about the proposed improvements to the building and site,” which helps explain why the city is loading the project up with conditions instead of just waving it through.
The packet recommends several requirements, including:
- A new 6‑foot opaque fence along residential edges
- City review and approval of a detailed landscape plan before any permits are issued
- Installation of all required landscaping and fencing before the city signs off on a certificate of occupancy
EōS' Georgia push
The Marietta site fits neatly into EōS Fitness' broader Georgia game plan. In a 2024 press release, EōS Fitness said it intends to open more than 50 locations across Georgia over the next ten years and called Atlanta “a key milestone” in that expansion.
The company says its Greater Atlanta clubs typically run between 40,000 and 50,000 square feet, and that new locations represent a dose of local investment along with new jobs, which helps explain why a big empty box store suddenly looks a lot more attractive.
Neighbors and the site's past
In the meantime, the old Kroger has not exactly been a model neighbor. City staff and local reporting say the property has drawn multiple code‑enforcement complaints since the store closed, including trash, outdoor storage, graffiti and a nonconforming sign.
Before the gym plan surfaced, a 2023 proposal to demolish the building and replace it with 322 apartments was denied, keeping the structure in limbo. Neighborhood groups have been pushing for upgrades along the Powers Ferry corridor for years, hoping to replace rundown corners with something that actually adds life to the area. East Cobb News covered the variance requests and the council meeting where the fitness center proposal was discussed.
Where Kroger went
Kroger did not go far. The grocer relocated less than half a mile away to the Marketplace Terrell Mill superstore, which opened in August 2023 as part of a larger mixed‑use redevelopment along Powers Ferry Road. The Atlanta Journal‑Constitution covered that grand opening and the role the new store and redevelopment are playing in reshaping the corridor.
What’s next
With the variances approved, Habersham Partners still has homework. The developer must return to the city with a finalized landscape plan and secure building permits before construction can move forward. The council tied its sign‑off to those conditions rather than handing out a blank check.
As Atlanta News First reported, the city will require the agreed landscaping, fencing and other upgrades to be in place before issuing a certificate of occupancy. If the developer follows through, one of Powers Ferry Road’s most notorious empty boxes could soon be trading shopping carts for squat racks.
