LAT: Wal-Mart Pulls the Plug on (San Fernando) Valley Site

[DeepModem Mom]

Wal-Mart Pulls the Plug on Valley Site
By Steve Hymon, Times Staff Writer


Retail behemoth Wal-Mart has dropped its plans to open a store in Northridge after deciding it did not want to conduct a lengthy environmental impact report demanded by neighbors and city officials.

Arkansas-based Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has been trying for a year to open a store in an existing building at Nordhoff Street and Tampa Avenue. Officials said that an environmental study for the more than 150,000-square-foot store in the San Fernando Valley would have been too costly and would have delayed the project by at least several months.

"The time it took to do the environmental impact report added to the time it would take to start construction and the economics of maintaining the land while going through this process was a factor," said Kevin McCall, spokesman for Wal-Mart in Southern California.
Two other Wal-Mart stores, in West Hills and Porter Ranch, are within several miles of the site. McCall said the purpose of the new store was to alleviate long lines at those two locations.

But the plan met with strong resistance from nearby residents and Los Angeles City Councilman Greig Smith, whose 12th District includes Northridge....


http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-walmart17jan17,0,7192868.story?coll=la-home-headlines&track=morenews

[truebrit71]

1. Good!

Fuck Wally-Mart.

[warrens]

2. On the downside

WM is evidently using its pet real estate firm in Canada, First Pro, to buy up Zeller's, a rival chain, so it can have access to great real estate sites in major Canadian markets (Canada has strict zoning laws and retail space in major cities is really hard to come by). Anti-monopoly laws would keep WM from buying Hudson's Bay, Zeller's parent, but if First Pro bought it, it could close the stores, then sell the real estate to WM.

[Rainscents]

3. People are coming out and fighting against Walmart and this is very

good news!

[Ezlivin]

4. "Economics...was a factor" for the richest corporation in history?

Rather it was the likely exposure of WM's shoddy environmental practices that prompted the withdrawal.

Why do I get the image of a cockroach scurrying in the sudden light?

[hedgehog]

5. Is it wishful thinking on my part or is Walmart in trouble?

It seems to me that the continual expansion bubble is getting ready to burst. On the downside, Walmart has gotten so big that when it goes, it's going to cause a lot of damage. The entire supply chain has been distorted by Walmart.

[AlCzervik]

7. we just defeated Wal-mart in my community, people from every

side of the political spectrum in my town united against Wal-mart.

[depakid]

6. Keep 'em out of the Blue states

Let them suck the red states dry.

As far as I'm concerned, governments and communities who don't fight the Wallmarts of the world, deserve what they get. Especially the local business people who continually vote Republican.

Sorry if that sounds harsh- but if folks haven't figured it out by now- they'll just have to learn the hard way.

[LibertyLover]

8. Wal-Mart in Annapolis

Wal-mart had planned to open a store in Annapolis, where I live, on the old Parole Shopping Plaza grounds. It was going to have a hotel build over top of it too. When I read that, I wondered if they were going to offer to deliver your purchases to your room while you sipped your soda in their in-store restaurant. Anyway, so far as I know, that store has been blocked and now only housing is going in on the site. We already have a Sam's Club in town and a Wal-mart just up the road in Glen Burnie. People just didn't want it.

[onager]

9. Nordhoff & Tampa???

Right across the street from the Northridge Mall, which has a Sears, Macy's, Penney's and a bunch of other chains, along with a Borders and a big variety of other stores. (I live in this neighborhood, when I'm not working in Egypt as I am now.)

That seems like an incredibly stupid idea. Maybe it's the hubris.

[nautibits]

10. sweeeeeeeeeeeeeet!!!!!!!

One down, many more to go.