Cornelius, OR. Wal-Mart Delayed

Cornelius Wal-Mart opening not expected until 2010 [The Oregonian]

Wal-Mart fans will have to wait another couple of years for a store to open in Cornelius, said Richard Meyer, the city’s director of development and operations.

After downsizing its Cornelius building plans from 184,000 to 154,000 square feet in February, Wal-Mart has not yet resubmitted its new construction plans to the city for approval.

Meyer said he expects the plans by fall and that company officials say they want to be ready to bid out the plans next spring, in 2009. With construction generally taking 12 to 15 months, that would put a grand opening in 2010.

Wal-Mart spokeswoman Jennifer Spall said in February that a sluggish business climate prompted Wal-Mart to reanalyze its planned stores last summer, canceling some and downsizing others.

The Cornelius Wal-Mart, approved by the City Council in early 2006, is to be built at Adair Street and Fourth Avenue. It will sell grocery items and general merchandise, and will offer roughly 200 jobs.

It would be Washington County’s first Wal-Mart.

Posted by Alex Goldschmidt on Tuesday, May 06, 2008