Compact Wal-Mart on way to Midtown

[Guest donaltopablo]

Compact Wal-Mart on way to Midtown

By WALTER WOODS, REN

[Allan]

Just what we need!!

Actually it is the LAST thing we need. Walmart is now infiltrating cities all over the country. Chicago is getting its first Walmart in the city limits after much debate. Walmart approached the city of Detroit and wanted to build a store on the site of Tiger Stadium, but much to my relief, they came back and said the site was two acres too small (apparently Walmart needs 19 acres for their gigantic parking lots). Also, I know that the Eagle Rock section of Los Angeles was fighting a proposal for an urban-style Walmart that would put the unique stores out of business and destroy the neighborhood. I'm not sure where that ended up though.

IMO, of all the stores that should be building urban loactions, Walmart is the last one. Can't they keep that crap out in the suburbs with all the identical cookie cutter, vinyl siding houses? Walmart hurts cities more than it helps them. Sure, it provides minimum wage jobs, but it also hurts locally owned businesses.

[BrandonTO416]

Couldn't it at least be a Target? LOL

[Guest donaltopablo]

Couldn't it at least be a Target? LOL

No doubt

[bobliocatt]

Well it will be interesting to see how this turns out. I've seen urban Targets, but this will be a first.

[EvanK]

WalMart recently opened one of those neighborhood markets of theirs in my town, and within 2 months, put a 60 year old grocery store out of business. WalMart is eeevil.

[Wendell FOX]

Yeah, but according to the article it seems to just be an anchor of a shopping centre (perhaps a major indoor one) - not something that is exactly urban perhaps, but still something that is on par with the status of the neighbourhood at least.

"When people think of Wal-Mart, they think 'big box,' but this is the antithesis of big box," Witt said. "This will provide a place for people to shop intown with very competitive prices."

There's not necessarily anything wrong with Wal-Mart when it DOESN'T sprawl.

[DBR96]

Actually, I don't think that Wal-Mart is as "evil" as some people think. Consider this: Their prices are lower, which greatly benefits the poor. Trust me; if you're poor, you'd rather shop at Wal-Mart and get a box of cereal for $2.59 than go to the "traditional" grocery store and get the same box of cereal for $2.89. That's just how it is.

[Martinman]

Couldn't it at least be a Target? LOL

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No, Target just opened at 1 intown location with 2 more on the way. Plus 2 of the Target locations are closer to the city core while I wouldn't even consider this Walmart location to be Midtown.

[Martinman]

WalMart recently opened one of those neighborhood markets of theirs in my town, and within 2 months, put a 60 year old grocery store out of business.

[orulz]

Actually, I don't think that Wal-Mart is as "evil" as some people think. Consider this: Their prices are lower, which greatly benefits the poor. Trust me; if you're poor, you'd rather shop at Wal-Mart and get a box of cereal for $2.59 than go to the "traditional" grocery store and get the same box of cereal for $2.89. That's just how it is.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You have to think on a much larger scale than that.

They have helped cause countless manufacturing jobs to move to China. Once upon a time, a decent factory job was a way to make a living and support a family in the US. Now, the jobs that are left in the manufacturing sector generally pay like crap, generating more poor people... who in turn have to go to Wal-Mart to save their 30 cents per box of cereal.

What I've just said isn't really the whole story, though, because reduced trade barriers have made cheap, chinese-made manufactured goods readily available, and even if Wal-Mart didn't exist, other stores would be importing them too. But it's definitely more complicated than "Wal-mart is cheap, so that's good for the poor." You should know that.

But the issue of company scruples aside, I really, REALLY hate Wal-Mart for two reasons. First, their stores are consitently the ugliest, most unfriendly designs with the hugest parking lots in the world. Second, the quality of much of the merchandise at Wal-Mart is TERRIBLE. They work directly with manufacturers to squeeze every last penny out of them, and supposedly that often results in special, lower-quality "Wal-Mart edition" products which look the same on the outside but function worse and fall apart sooner. I'm very leery of buying merchandise even from otherwise trustworthy brands at Wal-Mart.

[dixiecupdrinking]

This is truly only an "urban" project by Atlanta standards, much as the intersection of Howell Mill and I-75 is only "intown" by Atlanta standards, and is only "Midtown" by the standards of wishful-thinking marketers, and apparently the AJC.

It is significant that this is inside the perimeter, and, sure, inside the city limits. But it isn't exactly threatening the vibrancy of a neighborhood with thriving streetfront shops, you know?

[teshadoh]

This is truly only an "urban" project by Atlanta standards, much as the intersection of Howell Mill and I-75 is only "intown" by Atlanta standards, and is only "Midtown" by the standards of wishful-thinking marketers, and apparently the AJC.

It is significant that this is inside the perimeter, and, sure, inside the city limits. But it isn't exactly threatening the vibrancy of a neighborhood with thriving streetfront shops, you know?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Pretty much right on that.