Developer applies for building work at old Macy’s building for new Trader Joe’s store in Columbia

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Owners of the old Macy's building in Columbia have applied for $5 million worth of work to host a new Trader Joe's grocery store.

The Kroenke Group -- which owns the building at 201 North Stadium Blvd. -- applied for a commercial building alteration permit on Monday with the City of Columbia. TKG said it would be performing "shell work" on the building to host a new Trader Joe's store. Online records estimate that work to cost $3.2 million.

The grocery chain confirmed in November that it planned to open a store in Columbia. Trader Joe's already has five stores in Missouri, all based around St. Louis and Kansas City. The company's list of stores does not yet include when the Columbia location might open.

TKG, which owns the Shoppes at Stadium suite of stores, also applied for a permit to do $1.8 million worth of work inside the building. That work includes things like adding refrigeration to the building. Both it and the Monday application are still being reviewed by city staff.

The building has sat vacant since Macy's closed its Columbia store in 2016. Architects submitted plans to the city in August to divide the old retail store into several smaller stores. Trader Joe's will take a 14,500-square-foot portion of the building, while a future "anchor" store would take a larger portion.

Trader Joe's spokesperson Nakia Rohde did not confirm the location or opening date, but directed people to check its website for stores opening soon.