A nearly 99,000-square-foot Kroger Marketplace could be headed to McCordsville, anchoring a sprawling 40-acre development that would also bring a gas station, nine extra commercial outparcels and a mixed-use parcel to the town's busy Ind. 234 corridor. The grocery giant is eyeing a planned footprint of 98,868 square feet with 422 parking spots, according to plans now before town officials.
The proposal comes from Tower Investments, which is seeking to rezone the property at 5871 W. Ind. 234 from its current regional commercial zoning to a new planned unit development called McCord Square Tower, as reported by the Daily Reporter. Tower has owned the land, located on the south side of Ind. 234 near its intersection with Ind. 67, since 2006. McCordsville's Advisory Plan Commission is scheduled to take up the rezoning request at its Nov. 17 meeting.
Macy Downey, a project manager at McBride Dale Clarion, Kroger's zoning consultants, told the town council that Kroger requested the rezoning because the company felt a PUD would be more appropriate given McCord Square's proximity, per the same outlet's report. The development would also include a Kroger gas station featuring 14 fueling positions at seven fuel dispensers, and plans show access along Ind. 234 via a traffic light, along with connections from both Civic and Commons drives.
Three Districts, Nine Outparcels
Concepts for the PUD divide the property into three districts: gateway, anchor and mixed-use. The gateway district would hold eight outparcels along with the Kroger gas station, while the anchor district would contain the grocery store itself, an 11-acre outparcel and a retention pond. The mixed-use district, meanwhile, consists of a single 1.6-acre parcel.
Downey said retail and restaurants are being considered for the outlots, and the larger 11-acre outparcel could accommodate a bigger development such as a strip shopping center or another anchor store, though no specific users have been identified at present. McCordsville Town Council member John Price noted that residential areas surround the property and more housing may be built as the area continues to develop. Downey added that the developer will provide visualizations of perimeter mounding once the project is ready to move forward.
A Town Built for Rapid Growth
If the PUD is approved, Kroger expects to open the McCordsville store in 2028. The timing lines up with a town that has been adding residents at a remarkable clip: McCordsville's population grew from about 1,100 people in 2000 to more than 11,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau as cited by the Indianapolis Business Journal. Town Manager Tim Gropp separately told WRTV in August 2025 that the town had grown to roughly 13,000 to 14,000 residents and was still growing rapidly.
The Business Journal reports McCordsville already has enough approved housing to reach 20,000 residents within the next decade, with the town potentially climbing to 40,000 people within 20 years. Gropp echoed that trajectory, telling WRTV that officials are preparing to support around 40,000 residents over the next few decades. A large subdivision east of McCord Square is expected to add another 500 to 600 houses, per the Business Journal's reporting, though the outlet has described the overall McCord Square project as both 48 acres and 60 acres in size.
Part of a Wider Kroger Push
McCordsville is hardly the only Indiana town fielding a new Kroger Marketplace pitch right now. Greenfield's plan commission in July unanimously approved a 99,000-square-foot Kroger Marketplace with a pharmacy drive-through, online order pickup and a third-party coffeehouse. In Huntertown, a proposed 30-acre development called Salomon Corner would be anchored by a Kroger Marketplace with its own 14-pump gas station, according to WANE.
Pendleton, too, is weighing a rezoning for a roughly 75,000-square-foot Kroger store and fuel center on 11.35 acres, with hopes of a 2028 opening, the Pendleton Times-Post reports. Kroger has also broken ground on a $38 million, 123,000-square-foot Marketplace and fuel center in Crawfordsville, according to Progressive Grocer, with the Greenfield store billed as a prototype 24,000 square feet smaller than that Crawfordsville build. The flurry of proposals tracks with Kroger's broader strategy: the company plans to open about 110 stores through 2029 and invest roughly $5 billion to grow the business, per the IndyStar.
McCordsville's own comprehensive plan lists grocery stores among the encouraged uses in its regional-business development pattern, while flagging special design considerations for gas-station access, lighting and signage. The plan also cautions that its future-land-use map is only a guide, noting that mapped uses may not materialize on any particular timeline as zoning and development review continue to shape the final outcome.
