Publix confirms another Louisville-area store at Blankenbaker Plaza, expanding its East End footprint

New grocery store planned for a long-vacant retail space

Publix Super Markets has confirmed plans for another Louisville-area location, adding to its growing presence in eastern Jefferson County. The proposed store is planned for Blankenbaker Plaza in Middletown, taking space previously occupied by a Walmart Neighborhood Market in a retail corridor near the intersection of Blankenbaker Parkway and Shelbyville Road.

The location has been vacant for years following the earlier grocery closure. Plans call for a full-size supermarket footprint, and the project has been described as part of Publix’s continued buildout in Kentucky after entering the state in 2024.

What is known about the Middletown site

• Location: Blankenbaker Plaza in Middletown, in the East End area of Louisville.

• Former tenant: Walmart Neighborhood Market previously operated at the site.

• Store size and jobs: The planned store has been described as approximately 50,325 square feet, with an estimated staffing level of about 140 employees.

• Timing: No opening date has been publicly confirmed.

How it fits into Publix’s Kentucky rollout

Publix opened its first Kentucky store on Jan. 10, 2024, at 2500 Terra Crossing Blvd. in Louisville’s Terra Crossing Shopping Center. That store was announced as a 55,701-square-foot location with a drive-thru pharmacy and an adjacent Publix Liquors. Since then, the company has moved forward with additional stores in the Louisville market.

Two Louisville locations opened in early September 2025:

• Marshall Commons, 10005 Ballardsville Rd., Louisville, KY 40241 (opened Sept. 3, 2025), listed at 55,701 square feet.

• Flat Rock, 150 Flat Rock Rd., Louisville, KY 40245 (opened Sept. 6, 2025), listed at 48,387 square feet.

With those openings, the Blankenbaker Plaza project represents the next confirmed Louisville-area step, shifting from new ground-up builds toward redevelopment of an existing big-box grocery space.

What remains unresolved

Several elements remain unclear, including the construction approach for the site, tenant mix changes within Blankenbaker Plaza, and the schedule for permitting and buildout. The company has not publicly issued an opening timeline for the Middletown store.

As Louisville’s grocery market continues to evolve, the Blankenbaker Plaza project will be watched as a test of how quickly a vacant, former grocery box can be converted into an operating supermarket.

Further details are expected as development filings, hiring activity, and construction milestones become public.