Godfrey, Ill. Farm Threatened by Proposed Wal-Mart

Wal-Mart eyes Godfrey farm [(Ill.) Telegraph]

GODFREY - Village officials and the owner of Joehl’s Alfalfa Queen Farm confirmed Friday that Wal-Mart is interested in buying the farm to develop a Supercenter.

“We haven’t sold yet because of contingencies, but when they are solved, and if it is passed, it will be a go,” said owner Anthony Joehl, who plans to sell 37 of 180 acres at 6610 Godfrey Road, near where the Illinois 255 extension eventually will end in Godfrey.

The Telegraph first reported the potential for a Wal-Mart at that site Jan. 10, but the parties involved said they did not know what retailer was looking at the property.

“I’m just glad we now know who is interested. It looks like (economic development planner Matthew Asselmeier) working with Retail Realty to bring a retail development to Godfrey has been successful, and we hope there will be more,” Mayor Mike Campion said. “The ball is officially rolling.”

On Friday morning, a courier delivered to Village Hall a proposed preliminary site plan for a Wal-Mart Supercenter that included a request to rezone the property from agricultural to B-4, or highway business.

“Godfrey is a project that has been reviewed internally, and our real estate team and operations team have been designing a project that would allow us to move forward with a Supercenter in Godfrey,” said John Bisio, director of public affairs in Illinois for Wal-Mart Stores Inc.

“We’re very committed to building a new store, but we don’t regard it as a foregone conclusion,” he said. “At present, the project wouldn’t break ground until the late part of 2007 or early 2008 and likely wouldn’t open until 2009.”

The sale of the Joehl acreage is contingent on approval of rezoning, and the village has not approved the preliminary site plan.

Before the property can be rezoned or the site plan approved, the requests must go before the Planning and Zoning Commission, which will make recommendations to the Village Board of Trustees. The commission will hold a public hearing on the issue at 6:45 p.m. Wednesday, March 21, most likely at Lewis and Clark Community College’s Trimpe Technology Center. If not there, the public hearing will be at Alton High School.

If the commission recommends approval, the board would take up the issue at its first April meeting.

“We’re very, very happy about it,” said Asselmeier, who has been working to secure the development plans since June. “This will bring income to the village if it’s approved. More specific detail will be heard at the Planning and Zoning meeting.”

Besides Wal-Mart, five more commercial buildings could be in the development. The preliminary site plan includes five out-lots for sale or lease from Retail Realty Group Inc., the project developer.

“From what we’ve seen, they’ve got landscaping on there, and it looks good,” said Building and Zoning Administrator Bruce Wickenhauser, who will review the preliminary site plan with village engineer Dennis Hartman. “They meet or exceed our expectations.”

The engineers and architects involved are Cochran Civil Engineers in Wentzville and BRR Architectural in Merriam, Kan., near Kansas City, Mo.

“It’s a pretty-looking Wal-Mart. It’s not like when you look at Jerseyville,” Wickenhauser said. “It’s got a very architectural look to it. They said they would try to blend in some details similar to the Lewis and Clark buildings. It reminds me more of Wood River, but it’s still different than that. It’s kind of unique, really.”

The Joehls plan to continue living in Godfrey if the sale takes place. They will continue to farm hay on the remaining 140 acres of the farm and rent agricultural property elsewhere, Joehl said.

“It’s going to take out the asparagus, but maybe down the road, we’ll have it again,” said Joehl, whose farm is well-known for its asparagus.