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I hope they do more with this site than just a Wal Mart, could be a good opportunity to bring in other retailers as well. I think it was mentioned earlier but, this is also an opportunity to extend sidewalks/lighting down Assembly.
See attached picture. Walmart, Mount Pleasant, SC opened in 2007. Thsy can be made to look less hideous:
It doesn't matter if they're less hideous on the outside; they still have the same terrible service on the inside. Now if it were an urban Target I would be more excited.
Wow, all but one post is positive. In Chicago people have been fitting tooth and nail against Wal-Mart for a decade and they finally lost. A Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market just opened in the West Loop at the ground level of a high rise apartment building. It's quite nice. Sparkling clean and big enough to have everything you need, including a pharmacy, but small enough to shop in quickly and easily. A regular Wal-Mart opened a few years ago, and two Super Centers will be coming soon to former industrial sites. More stores in all formats are planned for the future.
Interesting... Every urban Walmart that I have heard of always has to battle the issue of wages which is often brought into question. You wonder if it will be an issue here in SC where the thought is that any job is a good job.. Additionally, I imagine that Columbia would want the tax base generated from a Wal Mart Store which certainly may increase the city's sales tax revenue.. though some of it would be canabalized from other retail stores in the City. I can see pluses and minuses.. but certainly USC and the gameday crowds will benefit.. I am not sure how Olympia and Rosewood will respond though
Also if it is truly and "urban" Walmart... it will have a smaller footprint and maybe other retail stores and possibly residential uses which can promote the City's intown population...especially near the University. If this happens, I said before in a prior post, the future of the State Fairgrounds will continue to be in question. Is the Fairgrounds where it is currently located the highest and best use for the property? USC and others are investing heavily in the area and its no longer "country" or "industrial" like it once was.. I have fond memories of the Fairgrounds and the State Farmers Market.. and we know one has already relocated.. I only think its a matter of time before the State cashes in and moves the Fairgrounds further out Bluff Road towards I-77 where its more accessible, the land is cheaper......Plus the State will make a nice piece of $$$ as it sells of large urban parcels...(eg. State Hospital)
I have mixed feelings about this. There are four Walmart Supercenters within about 5-6 miles or so of the location, all of which are along the I-77/20/26 mini-beltway around the Columbia/Forest Acres core (Bush River Rd., US-1/West Columbia, Forest Drive, and Garners Ferry). So in a sense this location is already well-served by WalMarts for those willing to drive a bit, but there is no WalMart or Walmart product truly in the core.
While I would prefer some other business besides WalMart, one of their smaller retail flavors could fill an interesting niche that is not currently being filled in the greater downtown core. I'm thinking of the smaller WalMart Marketplace grocery/merchandise stores that could provide something more than the neighborhood Food Lion/Publix/Bi-Lo. These are modestly sized at 40,000 sf rather than the 200,000 sf SuperCenter behemoths (which have ran their course anyways as exurban sprawl has greatly slowed down). There really is no general merchandise store in & around downtown (which is the case with most such downtowns when they lost they central Sears or Belk years ago). Mast General is a nice "boutique" merchandise store on Main St., so that isn't really a comparison or competitor. So much of downtown, particularly in Five Points, Main St., and the Vista are dominated by niche, unique, and/or upscale retail, I don't think a small-footprint WalMart would be the end of the world. It may even bring some life to the South Assembly area. But like I said, I do wish it were something else.
I'll miss the old stadium, but Wal-Mart there could potentially be an improvement. I don't know...
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