Friday, January 13, 2012

Independence Wal-Mart opening end of month

The new Wal-Mart Supercenter on Independence Boulevard is set to open either January 25 or 26. Either way, it will be a day after the older, nearby Wal-Mart Supercenter on Eastway Drive closes.

Wal-Mart hasn't officially posted the opening date for the new store on their store openings page, but an employee at the store confirmed those dates to a colleague of mine. The store on Independence Boulevard, located just before Albemarle Road, is nearly complete, as you can see if you drive past.

The old Supercenter on Eastway Drive is about a mile and a half from the Independence Boulevard location. I'll let you know when Wal-Mart corporate officially confirms the store's opening date.

Fun fact: If you go to Wal-Mart's store locator page and look for the store on Eastway Drive, you'll notice that while it still lists the address as 3304 Eastway Drive, the map marker is already on the store's new location, at East Independence Boulevard and Pierson Drive.

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36 comments:

Brian Green said...

Does anyone know what, if anything, is going in the old Eastway location?

Anonymous said...

Just a guess, but...probably blight?

Anonymous said...

@Ely the Eastway location is not a supercenter, just a regular Walmart.

@Brian, nothing has been confirmed for that location as far as I can tell.. so yeah, probably blight. Problem with Walmart locations is that they are too big to lease without having to be subdivided.

Anonymous said...

According to the property manager the property is under lease already,but they aren't disclosing the lessee

Archiguy said...

This is great news! Because, Heaven knows, we don't have enough Wal-Marts already.

Anonymous said...

The Wal-mart is neither a supercenter nor a "regular" wal-mart. It is a crossover. It is substantially larger than the "regular" wal-mart (like the one on Eastway). It has a larger product mix, particularly in the grocery dept. It also includes a much more appealing architecture consistent with a super Wal-Mart, as opposed tot he older and smaller basic grey box.

Anonymous said...

@Archiguy. A moot point. there will be no more or no less Wal-Mart store in the world. As the story states this Wal-Mart opens the day after the store it replaces closes.

Anonymous said...

Wal-Mart must not own the location because the University location which is own by them is so unreasonably priced that nobody will buy it.

Anonymous said...

"Problem with Walmart locations is that they are too big to lease without having to be subdivided."

According to the property manager there is an undisclosed lessee. Wal-Mart didn't own the Eastway location. They just leased it. An advantage of the new Wal-Mart is that they they own the new store.

Anonymous said...

"Wal-Mart must not own the location because the University location which is own by them is so unreasonably priced that nobody will buy it."

This article isn't about the University location. Whether or not the Univeristy location is owned by Wal-Mart has no bearing on whether they own any other location. (Nor is how it is priced an indication of who the owner is...) Wal-mArt does not own the Eastway store. They do own the new Pierson Dr. store

Anonymous said...

The Eastway location is full of transients, lower income, and mostly Mexican customers. Go in there any time and you will see that is what makes up most of their business.

Sad, but most people will drive miles and miles out of their way so they won't have to go there. It will be interesting to see if all same crowd tries to relocate to the new store. If so, prepare for many deaths along Independence as they will be running across the highway on foot trying to get to the new Wal-Mart. Though, I'm not sure how they will push the shopping carts across the concrete barriers when they steal them from the store's parking lot.

Anonymous said...

True. If they ever set up an ICE unit at the Eastway Wal-Mart, they would have truck loads of violators to haul away.
I can shop around all types of people, but at that store, most of the Mexicans in there with their anchor babies are running around screaming, tearing things down off shelves, and the parents don't even care. Of course the management and staff have to follow around and clean up. We are praying the new store won't have this mess.

Anonymous said...

@9:15
What is wrong with Mexican people or Low-income or transient people. Are they not supposed to shop or buy things. Is Wal-Mart supposed to not take their money?
The store on Eastway obviously makes money...
I don't forsee many deaths from pedestrians crossing the road since there is an underpass right at Pierson Dr.

Anonymous said...

Anon 9:11 & 9:15 -- comments like yours make me ill. Anyone reading this would think that Charlotte is made up of ignorant bigots.

I have shopped at the Eastway WalMart for years, and am really sorry to see it close. It's easy to get to (haven't figured out how to reach the new one from Monroe Rd) and carries most of what we need, most of the time.
I have never had a bad experience with any customers there (must have missed you) and the staff include some of the most friendly people in town.

I hope something good will go in its place... maybe the Roses or TJMaxx that are being closed due to the Independence project.

Anonymous said...

@9:15
Why would ICE set up a sting at a vacant box store on Eastway? You claim you can shop around all kinds of people. But you wont shop around *american citizens* because of their paren'ts nationality and because some of their parents may or may not be citizens. Can't save a bigot from their stupidity...

Anonymous said...

now if we could just get the regional farmers market next door...that would make sense

Anonymous said...

@farmer's Market
I don't think the regional Farmer's Market is the best use of Coliseum Shopping shopping Center. Although it is a better alternative than what is currently going on there. Sadly, a representative of the city's Economic Development has said they don't support relocating the Farmer's Market because there isn't enough space anywhere on that stretch of Indepedence. Malarchy! Sadly, when I mentioned a privately owned Farmer's Market, the same representative said the Economic development Dept would not support it. "We don't think that fits our vison of Independence lvd." Who is We and where did the Ecenonimc Development Dept get their directive not to support private farmer's markets. This is just one example of the "Economic Developement" dept's subjective and unchecked non support of the redevlopment of Independence Blvd. Sadly they are trying to stop Economic Development in order to make condemnation of private property cheaper in the event the city or state ever has the desire to purchase more ROW.

Anonymous said...

@9:42:

I think what they were inferring was that there are many illegal aliens at that store. It is not a vacant box now. I don't shop there, and glad I will never get the chance to. By the way, the children are only citizens because their parents are illegals and our current Democrats are enabling this process.

Anonymous said...

Anon 9:37: I have had to go to that WalMart several times, and the nationality of the people don't bother me, but the rudeness they exhibit does. No manners whatsoever.

Anonymous said...

Wow at the bleeding heart liberals on here. God help us. The bottom line is the Wal-Mart on Eastway is a pure hell hole. Lie if you want, but you know it is true. Hopefully the new one will be a complete change.

Anonymous said...

You are correct that the Walmart on Eastway is a hellhole. However, I and many of my elderly neighbors have shopped at that store since it opened. We know many of the employees by name, and they know us. I normally go early on a Saturday or Sunday morning before the store gets busy. My elderly neighbor has already transferred her prescriptions to a drugstore. I will not use the new store as frequently (in fact rarely) as I do the Eastway store. I am sorry to see the Eastway store close.

Jon said...

What I don't (and never have) understand is why the city's economic development office saw this as a good thing. All they've done is trade one empty big box for another. What sense does that make? Empty big box on Independence now becomes empty big box on Eastway/Central.

Anonymous said...

"Wow at the bleeding heart liberals on here. God help us. The bottom line is the Wal-Mart on Eastway is a pure hell hole. Lie if you want, but you know it is true. Hopefully the new one will be a complete change."

It makes money... Lie if you want... The new one will make even more money

Anonymous said...

@Jon,
Wal-Mart was renting their old building. They wanted a bigger nicer looking store that would have a larger product mix, more space, more regional appeal and visibility. Amity Gardens and Independednce Blvd. despaerately needed redevelopment.
The Economic Development dept. didn't necessarily support the Wal-Mart. The ZBA eventually did after several revisions. The ZBA is not allowed to consider indrectly related factors in rezonings.
The ZBA has no legal right to force a business to rent a facility they no longer wish to reside in.

Anonymous said...

@10:52 who cares if people at a store that is closing were rude. It is closing.

Anonymous said...

@10:49
It was more than evident that the person was saying their are a lot of illegal aliens at the Wal-Mart. My point was it is pointless for ICE (future tense) to set up a sting on a store that is closing in two weeks. It wont be open when they do.
They also used derrogatory terms for children who are citizens of our country. Highly immoral comments. You are lying when you say the "the children are only citizens because their parents are illegals and our current Democrats are enabling this process."
The parents' status has nothing to do with children born on U.S. soil being citizens. The ***constitution*** enables the process of people born in the Unites States to be native citizens. Furthermore that process is not a partisan issue, it is a CONSTITUTIONAL issue. Moreover, It has nothing to do with Wal-Mart or ICE.
Wal-Mart nor any other retail business is or should be in the business of determining each customer's immigration status.

Anonymous said...

Site to Store is Unavailable until January 25 so that is probably the opening day.

Archiguy said...

In response to Anon@9:42 - Despite being a despicable bigot, this guy simply confirms what's been clear for a long time: These ultra-conservative TeaBag Republicans who claim to revere the U.S. Constitution so much have no earthly idea what it actually says. That's what happens when you drop out of school, kids. Don't be that guy.

Anonymous said...

Hey Arch, "tea bag" Republicans favor limited government and fiscal responsibility. Sort of like certain provisions of the US Constitution.

You claimed once to be a VT grad? You are an EMBARASSMENT to that school.

Anonymous said...

All these comments just because a new Wal-Mart is opening? And isn't it amazing that some people can use virtually any story as an excuse for their silly political and racist rants? Amazing, just amazing.

Anonymous said...

@1:11
So the person that initially stated "the children are only citizens because their parents are illegals and our current Democrats are enabling this process."
is a Democrat? or a Republican?
We can rule out that they are a Democrat... So what about the constitutional right to be a citizen if you are born here?

Anonymous said...

I cna't wait for the Wal-mart to finally open. all this waiting and talking. lerts just move forward and get on with the ineitable opening and let al the questions be answered.
Old easway will close. What happens happens
New WalMart opens traffic in the neighborhood is ok or it isn't. Clientele is sketchy or it isn't. Redevelopment is spurred or it isn't.
Come on January 27th. I can't wait for you to get here!

Anonymous said...

Go Wallie World, I am ready for yah...

Anonymous said...

Maybe Target is going to move into the old Wal-Mart location.

Anonymous said...

@12:23 ---- No, no, no. It's not that the people who work there are rude (although plenty are), but the Mexicans that shop there. They let their achor babies and kids run crazy. They'll run right into you and don't know how to say 'Excuse Me' in Spanish or English. Now got back to sleep or start talking about something you really know about.

Anonymous said...

@ 12:25 and 1:22. You are lying. You are also a supporter of the problem that is growing with the illegals. Yes, the illegals come here in droves and then immediately get their women pregnant and have as many 'achor' babies as they can. The babies are immediate citizens, so therefore the parents are suddenly ok to live off the system.

You are a liar if you say this is not the case. They are here illegally, taking our jobs, living off the system, and manipulating it every way they can.

Please shut your mouth and don't carry on with your trashy rant.