The Boone County Fiscal Court is nearing approval of a zone change request that would pave the way for The Shoppes at Hebron Pointe, a new commercial development on Graves Road—one that’s long been speculated to be anchored by a Publix grocery store.
On Tuesday, Boone County conducted the first reading on an ordinance changing the zoning designation of 53 acres of land from residential and commercial to commercial/planned development. Midland Atlantic Properties, a Cincinnati-based firm that specializes in grocery-anchored mixed-used developments, is making the request.
A second reading for the zone change request was put on the fiscal court’s Sept. 3 meeting agenda. If the court votes in favor of the request, the zone change will become official, allowing the developers to progress.
“The request is to rezone this approximate 53-acre site from Graves Road Residential and Graves Road Commercial to Graves Road Commercial with a planned development overlay,” Boone County Zoning Administrator Michael Schwartz said.
The site in question is located at the northeast and northwest corners of the Graves Road and Worldwide Boulevard intersection. The change also affects portions of neighboring properties at 2477 Treetop Lane, 2355 Water Tower Dr., and 2338 Williams Road.
Midland Atlantic plans to develop a 50,325-square-foot anchor grocery store, along with four smaller retail spaces ranging from 22,080 to 3,200 square feet. The grocery store’s parking lot will contain 276 parking stalls. In addition, a 3,195-square-foot drive-thru restaurant will be built next to the retail spaces.
The plans also call for a 5,200-square-foot convenience store, an 8,400-square-foot retail store, and a 4,300-square-foot restaurant.
Larry and Christina Barnes, Roy Smith, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and KJCA LLC each own a separate property within the 53-acre development site, according to Boone County property records.
Midland Atlantic is behind another project in Northern Kentucky, Cold Spring Pointe, a mixed-use development that will feature a Publix. The grocer has officially confirmed two other Boone County locations: Florence and Walton.
Commissioner Chet Hand asked Midland Atlantic’s Development Manager Clayton Riney if he knew what grocery store chain would anchor the project.
Despite the public’s speculation and the development’s similarity to Cold Spring Pointe, Riney said he’s unable to make the announcement. However, he noted that Midland Atlantic does know the answer.
“Unfortunately, we can’t announce it yet, but hopefully, in the next three or four months, it will become ‘public’ knowledge,” Riney said.
Riney did mention that the retail spaces next to the grocery would be leased by “national users.”
“And then your retailers in the back, your typical type retailers that go along with grocery stores, all of which are national users that the county and the community, we think, would be happy to have,” he said.
The Boone County Planning Commission attached a condition to the zone change request prohibiting truck fueling at the development’s convenience store. From the planning commission’s perspective, the exclusion of truck fueling would help cut down on traffic from large tractor-trailers around the development.
At a previous planning commission meeting, Riney said Midland Atlantic is looking to open the development in early 2026.
