Kroger Corp. spent years planning to bring its Marketplace concept to northern Warren County before scrapping the plan. At the same time, the grocery giant — which has more than 30 stores in the Dayton area — decided to look north, over the Montgomery County line.

Kroger spokeswoman Rachael Betzler said recently that plans call for building a 135,000-square-foot store on South Main Street in Centerville, about five miles north of a site in Clearcreek Twp. that the Cincinnati-based company once coveted.

“We had to look at hard costs and sales projections,” Betzler said of the decision to not build near Ohio 48 and 73 in Warren County, an area that has boomed in recent years.

But, having a Marketplace in Centerville will help draw from those areas (Springboro and Clearcreek Twp.), as well.” The change of plan is an example of the economic winds pushing companies to make hard decisions on where to locate stores. On Sunday, Kroger closed its Fresh Fare store at Kenwood Towne Center — a stalled development in suburban Cincinnati — just 16 months after it opened.

Doug Harnish of Gem Real Estate cited the construction slump in Clearcreek Twp. as a reason Kroger likely pulled out of that location.

“That one at (Ohio) 73 also was in anticipation of real estate growth,” Harnish said. “The bloom is definitely off that rose.”

The development of the Villages at Winding Creek — a 600-acre mixed-use development in Clearcreek Twp. — stalled after Beazer Homes pulled out in 2008.

Foot traffic in Centerville would not be an issue, Harnish said.

“(The current Kroger on South Main) was doing so much volume that keeping it stocked was becoming a problem,” he said.

The proposed Marketplace and fuel center would be built south of the current Kroger store, at the Elder-Beerman site. It would be about twice the size of the current store and offer more produce and frozen food, as well as home goods.

The project has been in the works since mid-2008. Betzler said Kroger representatives and the site’s property owners, Black Equities Group, are working out details of the lease agreement.

Centerville City Manager Greg Horn said the larger store would anchor that area of town.

“We certainly are not trying to wish anybody else ill,” Horn said of Kroger’s shift, “but a Marketplace is key for that commercial area.”

Kroger has a Marketplace store in Englewood. One is under construction in Beavercreek. The lone area Fresh Fare in Kettering is smaller than Marketplace stores.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-7325 or jikelley@DaytonDailyNews.com.