Construction is well underway and the opening of the new Kroger Marketplace is nearing closer and closer with an expected open date in January 2014.
Construction is well underway and the opening of the new Kroger Marketplace is nearing closer and closer with an expected open date in January 2014.
Today, September 24, 2013, a helicopter crane was seen lifting air conditioning units and other components onto Kroger's rooftop. A representative of Kroger said the helicopter crane was used because of the sheer size of the building. When completed, the Kroger Marketplace will be 123,000 square feet or roughly 3 acres.
“To get a crane that size with a boom large enough to stretch over the rooftop is very expensive. It was cheaper to just hire a helicopter,” said the representative.
The seasoned pilot from 5 State Helicopters from Royse City, Texas, made it look too easy whisking back and forth from the parking lot to attach a load and then dropping it onto the Kroger rooftop. The units weighed approximately 1,700 to 2,200 pounds each.