Salt Lake City, UT. Debating a New Wal-Mart
New Wal-Mart [Salt Lake Tribune (Utah)]
Two important points should be considered concerning Wal-Mart’s proposed redevelopment of the K-Mart site on Parleys Way:
1. While the store has rightly been called a “supercenter,” the proposed building is nearly identical in size to the existing K-Mart (125,000 square feet). “Supercenter” refers to a merchandise strategy that offers a broader array of products than normal Wal-Mart discount department stores and not necessarily to a minimum store size.
2. Wal-Mart does not need the requested rezoning to operate in the existing facility. The company owns the K-Mart building and can invest at least 30 percent of the existing building’s assessed value to remodel the building. Wal-Mart believes the community and its customers would be better served with a new modern store, improved parking and landscaping where none now exists.
If Salt Lake City denies Wal-Mart the right to build a new store, our neighborhood will still get a Wal-Mart store, only a repainted version of the tired old concrete-and-block warehouse that has detracted from the area for 30 years.
Fred Fairclough Jr.
Salt Lake City
Posted by Alex Goldschmidt on Monday, May 12 | 0 comments | Permalink
Tucson, AZ. Wal-Mart Silent on Shopping Center Questions
Wal-Mart mum on El Con Mall move [Tucson Citizen (Ariz.)]
Wal-Mart and Macy’s won’t confirm reports that the two are in discussions about Wal-Mart taking over the vacant Macy’s at El Con Mall.
Lane Oden, an attorney for El Con, reportedly told leaders of surrounding neighborhoods in April that talks are “far along” for Wal-Mart to assume the Macy’s lease, but Oden “doesn’t take calls from reporters,” a woman at his office said.
El Con spokeswoman Susan Allen would not respond to a request for an interview other than to issue a prepared statement:
“Interviews and/or comments on the dispositon of the Macy’s lease at El Con Mall are premature as there is no deal at this time of which we are aware that merits discussion.”
When asked specifically about Wal-mart, Macy’s spokeswoman Laura Smith said: “No comment. We don’t really know the specifics yet. Maybe we will know more in a week.”
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Posted by Alex Goldschmidt on Wednesday, May 07 | 0 comments | Permalink
Tucson, AZ. Wal-Mart is not the answer
Wal-Mart isn’t answer to El Con Mall’s woes [Arizona Star]
With our apologies to Charles Dickens: It is the best of malls; it is the worst of malls.
It is the epoch of belief and the spring of hope at Mesa’s Dana Park Village Square, a multi-building shopping center on about 70 acres at Val Vista Drive and Baseline Road.
Most of the stores are fairly upscale national chains and there is no major anchor, such as Macy’s or Target. The stores, small shops, restaurants and a boutique grocery — an AJ’s Fine Foods — are clustered and positioned to attract Mesa and Gilbert residents with disposable income.
It is the epoch of incredulity and the winter of despair at Tucson’s El Con Mall, on East Broadway west of Alvernon Way.
El Con sits on 93 acres of prime central Tucson property, nestled among several venerable, upscale neighborhoods. It is across from Reid Park, golf courses, the zoo and the tennis center, and is near to the University of Arizona.
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Posted by Alex Goldschmidt on Tuesday, May 06 | 0 comments | Permalink
Corpus Christi, TX. Wal-Mart Returns For A Third Try
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. On February 19, 2008, Sprawl- Busters reported that Wal-Mart had been hit with a double whammy in Corpus Christi, Texas. One planned supercenter was dead, and a second was mired in a landlord-tenant lawsuit. The dead project was on the southside of the city, in the Timbergate neighborhood. According to the Caller-Times newspaper, Wal-Mart got a waiver approved by the city’s Planning Commission in November 2007, after resubmitting their plans for a rezoning. In March, 2007, Wal-Mart squeaked by the Planning Commission on a 5-3 vote in favor of the project. But in June, Wal-Mart withdrew their rezoning application for South Staples Street just one day before it was scheduled to come before the City Council. Normally, if an application is pulled, the proponent has to wait a full year before resubmitting. But in this case, Wal-Mart asked that their cooling off period be cut in half.
Wal-Mart wanted the city to change the land from its current designation of R-1B, or single family, to B-1, a neighborhood business district. To apply for the B-1 zone, Wal-Mart had to eliminate a tire and lube center from the mix. City staff admitted that granting a waiver was a “rare occurrence.” But when the Planning Commission met, they voted unanimously to approve a “rare” waiver for Wal-Mart, allowing the company to proceed with their rezoning application.
Corpus Christi planning staff said at the time that the retailer had not given them enough information to make a decision. “We need time to review and recommend and we’re frankly not convinced (the latest information from Wal-Mart is) adequate, but it’s at least a step in the right direction,” the city’s planning director told the Caller Times. But by February, 2008, plans for the Southside Supercenter had fallen apart, because the landowners announced that they were selling the property to the H.E.B. grocery chain.
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Posted by Al Norman on Monday, May 05 | 0 comments | Permalink
Corpus Christi, TX. Wal-Mart Back At It
Wal-Mart has an eye on city’s southside [Corpus Christi Caller-Times (Texas)]
Wal-Mart more than likely will find a location for a new Supercenter on the city’s Southside, but exactly where has not yet been decided.
Sally Aiello, a Wal-Mart spokeswoman, said the company was looking at several Southside locations and cannot confirm reports that one of those locations is the corner of Airline Road and Saratoga Boulevard.
“There are various sites under consideration on the Southside, but we are not yet ready to confirm any specific plans at this time,” Aiello said.
The Airline-Saratoga location would be near Staples Street and Timbergate Drive, where the Supercenter originally was planned but met opposition from nearby neighbors to its requests for rezoning. The property was sold to H-E-B in February.
Wal-Mart’s plan was to build the Timbergate store and one in Parkdale Plaza and close the store at South Padre Island Drive and Everhart Road.
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Posted by Alex Goldschmidt on Friday, May 02 | 0 comments | Permalink
Arlington, TX. Controversial Wal-Mart Set to Open
After nearly 8 years, Wal-Mart set to open [Star-Telegram (Texas)]
After nearly eight years of negotiation and controversy, the Wal-Mart Supercenter in southwest Arlington near Little Road and U.S. 287 is scheduled to open Wednesday.
A ribbon-cutting is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. at the store, which neighbors once opposed vehemently. Shoppers can cruise the aisles for groceries and household goods beginning at 8 a.m.
Background
Several factors contributed to the time it took the Wal-Mart to open.
Because the store is in Arlington and its parking lot is in Kennedale, the two cities spent months negotiating how to split sales tax revenue. They eventually agreed that Arlington will get 75 percent and Kennedale 25 percent.
Opposition from neighbors was also an issue.
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Posted by Alex Goldschmidt on Friday, May 02 | 0 comments | Permalink
Highland Village, TX. Wal-Mart an Issue in Mayoral Race
Wal-Mart still a factor in race for Highland Village mayor [Dallas Morning News (Texas)]
Three hours before sunrise on Jan. 26, 2005, the Highland Village City Council finally adjourned. It was after 4 a.m., and the crowd had left, most of them disappointed after the council voted 5-2 to approve a shopping center anchored by Wal-Mart.
That moment continues to shape city politics.
Two council members – Fred Busche and Dianne Costa – who took opposing positions at the time now face each other for the first time as mayoral candidates in the May 10 election. A third candidate, 18-year-old Gene Costa, who is unrelated to Ms. Costa, cited that vote as spurring his interest in public office.
Wal-Mart has since opened at the corner of FM2499 and FM407, but the candidates can’t escape the issue.
“It’s a major topic for about half the people I’ve talked to,” Mr. Costa said.
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Posted by Alex Goldschmidt on Monday, April 28 | 0 comments | Permalink
Windsor, CO. New Wal-Mart in the Works
Site improvements being made for future Wal-Mart [Windsor Beacon (Colo.)]
There is a lot of large earth-moving activity taking place these days along Main Street between 15th and 17th streets.
While it’s a clear signal that commercial development is in the works, it will still be some time before we see completed buildings, developers say.
Windsor Land Company, which is developing a 56-acre parcel on the north side of Main Street in this area, is making on-site and off-site improvements (streets, sewer, storm drains and grading) to its seven lots in preparation for Wal-Mart and several other interested retailers.
Wal-Mart purchased 20 acres lots 1 and 4 last December. The retail giant is expected to break ground on its proposed 190,000-square-foot super center some time next year. However, town planning officials aren’t sure when.
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Posted by Alex Goldschmidt on Monday, April 28 | 0 comments | Permalink
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