WAL-MART SNEAKING INTO NICEVILLE, FL?

Wal-Mart, Home Depot in Niceville? [Northwest Florida Daily]

Happy Birthday, America!

Awhile back, we spoke with Pat Byrne, the man in charge at Valparaiso Realty. We spoke to him about his attempt to bring The Home Depot to Niceville. The Daily News had reported on this twice in the past.

Yes, Byrne said, there were workers clearing 11 acres of a 45-plus acre site, and he hoped one day The Home Depot would step past the letter-of-intent stage.

Then last week a faithful reader left us a phone message regarding a possible Wal-Mart coming to Niceville. So we called the city’s planning department and learned that Valparaiso Realty had secured preliminary permits for such a project.

Now, neither a letter of intent nor preliminary permits are a sure sign that a proposed project will happen. It’s way more complicated than that.

But last week (and yes, it was a holiday week) when we called Pat Byrne, we weren’t able to connect. So we don’t have an update on whether The Home Depot or Wal-Mart could end up just off John Sims Parkway in northeast Niceville.

This normally gets Tommy the Biz Terrier’s blood stirred up. But Tommy the Biz Editor has been around the block a few times. So he knows it’s best to remain patient.

For the time being, as his parents would say.

Posted by Joel Nezianya on Tuesday, July 08, 2008

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