BOONE, NC WANTS WAL-MART AND SMALL BUSINESSES

High Country area grows, Wal-Mart expands [The Appalachian (N.C.)]

The Boone Wal-Mart will follow its trend of “roll-backs” by rolling back its walls and expanding its square feet.

According to Boone Town Council meeting minutes, the store, which sits currently at a size of approximately 122,000 square feet, will be adding an additional 27,738 square feet beginning next year for a total of almost 150,000 square feet.

A lease agreement was adopted on March 31, which made it possible for Wal-Mart to meet land-use intensity regulations.

According to the regulations, 27 percent of Wal-Mart’s gross land area needed to be green space set aside for recreational enjoyment. The Town of Boone made this possible by agreeing to lease 1.2 acres occupied by the Leola Street Community Garden, located at the intersection of Leola Street and Pride Drive.

Wal-Mart then agreed to lease the land to the community garden for 15 years, according to the town council minutes.

According to the minutes, the lease will officially begin at the store’s grand opening, and Wal-Mart will not have the option of modifying the property or storing inventory on the property without written consent of the town.

As of press time, Wal-Mart employees were unable to provide any additional information about the expansion.

Regular Wal-Mart stores are approximately 107,000 square feet, while Wal-Mart Super-centers average 187,000 square feet, according to Wal-Mart’s Web site walmartstores.com.

The expansion of the Boone Wal-Mart will put the store at a size closer to that of a super-center.
Student Government Association President David Mofford said he felt the expansion would be beneficial, especially to Appalachian State University students.

“…Every college kid is on a tight budget, and Wal-Mart provides low prices on groceries that other stores cannot,” he said.

However, Mofford also recognized the value of the local shops and businesses that make Boone unique and urged students to remember their value to the community. 

“I have full confidence that even with Wal-Mart’s low prices, students will continue to keep the small businesses which built this town in mind and will continue to frequent these businesses,” he said.

Posted by Tony Calero on Wednesday, July 16, 2008

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