Publix set Oct. 28 as opening day for Publix at Independence, at 5135 Jenkins Drive just off Madison Pike. It's a good addition on its own. What matters more for a weekly routine is where it landed. The new store sits almost directly across from the Kroger Marketplace and right next to an ALDI, so with that opening, one corner of KY-17 gets three grocers.
That corner is only part of it. A replacement Goodwill is going up a short drive north at McCullum Pike. Road crews are rebuilding KY-536 out to KY-17. On Dec. 5, the city's lighted Christmas parade will travel down Madison Pike past all of it. Independence's everyday errands are pulling toward one short stretch of KY-17.
Three grocers, one corner
For years, a grocery run on this end of town meant Kroger or ALDI. Here's the lineup once Publix opens its doors:
| Store | Address |
|---|---|
| Kroger, Independence Marketplace | 1700 Declaration Dr. |
| ALDI | 2000 Harris Pike |
| Publix at Independence, store #2058 | 5135 Jenkins Dr., 48,387 sq. ft. with pharmacy and adjacent Publix Liquors |
The Cincinnati Enquirer called the chain's Northern Kentucky push an "expansion into Kroger's backyard." In Independence, that backyard is close to literal. The Publix and the Kroger Marketplace almost face each other across Madison Pike.
This isn't a one-off. WLWT reported that Independence is the fourth Publix in Northern Kentucky, after Walton and Cold Spring, and three weeks after the Farmview Commons store opened on US 42 in Florence. The Enquirer added that a fifth store is under construction in Hebron. If you've followed our notes on the Union and Boone County dining corridor along US-42, it's the same pattern. Retailers are landing near where people already drive.
What the new store adds to a Madison Pike run
Before you plan a first trip, here's what Publix lists for store #2058:
- Departments: floral, meats and cheeses, produce, bakery, deli and seafood
- Pharmacy: a Publix Pharmacy with a drive-thru window
- Errand services: check cashing, coin counting, money orders, money transfers, a Presto! ATM and recycling
- Pickup and online: in-store pickup, plus online ordering for decorated bakery cakes
- Next door: Publix Liquors, which WLWT reported would open at 9 a.m. on opening day, Oct. 28
One practical detail if you'd rather stay home: Publix delivery and curbside pickup run through Instacart, and the store page says those item prices are higher than in-store prices, with possible fees and tips on top. If the store is already on your way home, walking in is the cheaper option.
The site was planned for more than a grocery store. LINK nky's 2023 coverage of the rezoning described plans for about 12,600 square feet of extra retail and a drive-thru restaurant, built by developer Crosland Southeast. No tenants or restaurant had been named at that point, so treat the rest of the pad as a 2023 plan rather than a promise.
Goodwill is moving to the same stretch
The next arrival on this part of KY-17 is a store many residents already use, just at a different address. Ohio Valley Goodwill broke ground on July 16 on a new store on a 2.4-acre site where KY-17 meets McCullum Pike, beside the Courthouse Crossing neighborhood sign. It will replace the store at 6435 Taylor Mill Road.
The move is about demand. "Our little store where we are now is doing great," store manager Steve McCann told LINK nky. "We're one of the most successful stores sales-wise in the organization, and so it's obvious that this community is craving more."
Watch the timing over the next few months. In that July report, Goodwill CEO Mark Hiemstra said the new store was set to open "early next year." The Taylor Mill Road lease was set to end in October, and Goodwill said it was negotiating to stay open there through construction. Before you load the car with donations, check Goodwill's Independence store page for current hours.
Once the new store opens, a donation drop-off, a pharmacy pickup and a grocery run could all fit on the same few miles of Madison Pike.
The land in between is staying as it is, for now
Between the Goodwill site and the Publix sits a roughly 40-acre tract on the east side of KY-17, south of McCullum Pike and north of Centennial Boulevard. It's mostly open farmland with one building and a pond, and it's zoned for residential rural estates.
This summer, a proposal would have rezoned it for 336 apartments plus about 17 acres of commercial space with room for 10 businesses. In August, Independence City Council voted 4 to 2 to deny the zoning requests, LINK nky reported.
So the new storefronts on this stretch are going up at its two ends, around the Publix site and at the Goodwill site, while the middle stays open ground. Anyone hoping for more restaurants between them shouldn't expect them from that tract soon.
Getting there gets easier, slowly
Many residents reach this corridor from the west side of town on KY-536, and that road is in the middle of a long rebuild. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's District 6 roadshow for the week of Oct. 25 lists two active KY-536 widening projects, both with multi-use paths:
- From KY-1303 to just west of Williamswoods Drive, expected to finish in summer 2027
- From Williamswoods Drive to KY-17, expected to finish in fall 2027
KYTC's District 6 page posts weekly updates. That second segment ends at KY-17, so it's the one to watch if your errands now start and end around Jenkins Drive and Harris Pike.
On the Taylor Mill side, the city is buying the vacant lot at the corner of Cox Road and Taylor Mill Road. The goal is to realign the road and improve sight lines, not to redevelop the lot, according to LINK nky.
Dec. 5: the same road, lit up
On the first Saturday in December, Madison Pike stops being an errand route for an evening. The city and the Independence Business Association are holding the 2026 Christmas Walk on Dec. 5, and the city calendar lists it from 6 to 9 p.m. Here's how the lighted parade will run, per the city's registration notice:
- Thursday, Dec. 3: registration deadline for parade entries
- 4:30 p.m., Dec. 5: lineup begins at Summit View Academy
- 5:30 p.m.: all entries must be in place and ready
- 6 p.m.: the parade steps off and travels south on Madison Pike to Simon Kenton High School
The city notes that the only live Santa allowed in the parade is the city-sponsored one. Businesses and groups that want to enter can contact Arron Cope at (859) 363-2941 or [email protected].
If you're stocking up on hot chocolate before the parade, leave extra time. Expect Madison Pike to be busy around lineup and step-off, so a mid-afternoon grocery stop is safer than one at 5:30. Activities beyond the parade haven't been posted for 2026, so check the city calendar as the date gets closer. For more on what this part of the county does in the off-season, see our Independence neighborhood page and our recent look at Kenton County's expanding event calendar.
New stores on your daily route can change how buyers see a street. If you'd like to know what the new KY-17 lineup means for a home near Jenkins Drive, Harris Pike or Courthouse Crossing, K2 Home Team can put a current number on it with a free home valuation. Schedule your free consultation, and we'll walk the corridor's changes through with you.
