Construction of the Ingles Superstore in Lenoir City is
well underway, with groundwork completed and steel
framing being placed, as contractor James R. Vannoy &
Sons Construction looks to take advantage of a warmer
than normal December.
“Full steam ahead but it is still winter and we could
still have delays for any number of reasons,” Ron
Freeman, chief financial officer for Ingles Markets,
said in an email correspondence.
Beth Collins, Lenoir City assistant codes enforcement
officer, said the project appeared on schedule, but no
completion date had been given to city officials.
“They’re making headway staying right on track,”
Collins said. “They’ve not had any issues, and we
anticipate them staying on track. Of course this
time of year always the weather can play into that.
You get into a lot of rain and stuff, but once you
get past the initial foundation stage where the
dirt, that’s what really slows you up with the rain.
Once you get into framing and stuff it’s not as —
doesn’t hold you back as much.”
Collins said asbestos abatement was completed in
late August, which was followed shortly thereafter
with the beginning of construction.
Freeman confirmed the project was “too early for
us to commit a completion date.”
Lenoir City Assistant Administrator Amber Scott
said the new Ingles store should give residents
“yet another option” for grocery shopping. She
said she was “very encouraged” the store model
would be similar to that of the Farragut
location.
The new Ingles will include a Gas Express and a
Starbucks, Freeman said.
“If the Gas Express completes before the store
project is completed, then we will consider
opening the Gas Express first. The reverse is
also true,” Freeman said in an email
correspondence.
In a previous interview, Collins said the new
grocery store is anticipated to be slightly
larger than 72,000 square feet, which is smaller
than what Ingles Markets initially planned prior
to halting multiple projects. At one point the
store was estimated to be 80,098 square feet.
Collins said Vannoy Construction has remained in
contact with city officials.
“It will bring a lot of people from out of town
in the surrounding areas, and I think it’s going
to add a lot to the — I mean they’re not
building it out by the interstate,” Councilman
Mike Henline said. “They’re building it more or
less where they were there, and I just think
it’s a wonderful thing for the city anytime you
can improve and have projects like that.”
Once the Ingles Superstore is complete, Collins
said store officials may look to lease the
current grocery building.
“There’s been some back and forth,” Collins
said. “The first initial discussion was that
they would renovate it and lease the space out.
Then there was talk that it may be more prudent
to tear that down and rebuild something for
someone. We don’t have any definite plans on
that and I think that will kind of depend on the
tenant that’s going to go in there and their
needs. We’ll kind of cross that bridge when we
get to it.”