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Started 1 year ago by Walker
Latest reply from johnwirtz

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Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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Been reading a bit about the Westerville Walmart this morning. Wondering what folks on CU thought since Walmart is always an interesting topic around here. ;)

Proposed Westerville Walmart criticized, defended
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2010
BY ELIZABETH GIBSON
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

City officials say deliberation over the proposed Westerville Walmart is likely to take months, but it kicked off last night with an impassioned two-hour debate.

Objections ranged from questions about the landscaping to an unabashed hatred of the retail chain.

READ MORE: http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/10/28/copy/proposed-walmart-criticized-defended.html?adsec=politics&sid=101

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Residents Have Mixed Feelings About Westerville Wal-Mart
By DENISE YOST
Published: October 27, 2010

A Central Ohio suburb has mixed feelings about a Wal-Mart coming into their neighborhood.

While some are excited about the possibility of new jobs for the area and discounted merchandise, small business owners already dealing with a similar kind of megastore are afraid the Wal-Mart might hurt their bottom line more.

READ MORE: http://www2.nbc4i.com/news/2010/oct/27/residents-have-mixed-feelings-about-westerville-wa-ar-273134/

Posted 1 year ago #
Snarf
Dystopia
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Westerville and Walmart go hand in hand in my opinion. It's not Upper Arlington or Worthington, it's Westerville for crimeny sakes.

Posted 1 year ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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Uptown Westerville is nice, and so is the Otterbein campus. I don't think it would fit in there.

But I imagine Walmart is proposing something on the northern outskirts where it would fit right in.

Posted 1 year ago #
Snarf
Dystopia
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^True, but as you say it'd go on the outskirts so there's no real issue says I.

Posted 1 year ago #
Nitsud Regnifloh
Valerio Heights
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what if they erect one like this...

Posted 1 year ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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I thought they only built them like that when totally forced to in more urban areas. ;)

Posted 1 year ago #
Pablo
Crestview Addition
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It appears this Walmart will replace/rehab an existing shopping center. I think that's a lot better than paving a corn field.

Posted 1 year ago #
SamuraiJack
Hilliard
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Last I heard this was going at Schrock and Westerville Rd where the strip mall sits mostly vacant and looking dated and decrepid

Posted 1 year ago #
jpizzow
580 N. Park St.
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Two words.....TRAFFIC NIGHTMARE.

Posted 1 year ago #
mBuckeyem

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That rendering above is actually pretty close to what the planning commission envisions that part of State St to look like. They've created an overlay district with fairly strict design standards. They want buildings to be closer to the street with wide sidewalks and parking behind the structures similar to the way Uptown looks. Somewhere on westerville.org there is a video layout of this.

The developer has thus far chosen to ignore these "suggestions" and it sounded like the plan he was going to submit was just going to be a remodeled strip mall structure similar to the Bethel Rd. Walmart.

That area can't handle any more traffic than it already has.

Posted 1 year ago #
gramarye
In Exile
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From the Dispatch article:

Company representatives said they courted 22 retailers, but Walmart was the only one willing to take on a lease and be part of the revitalization.

I don't think Wal-Mart is a bad company, but even a bad company is better than a vacant Lazarus site.

To those voicing objections about the potential increase in traffic, I simply note that any use of that site would (hopefully!) result in an increase in traffic vis-a-vis the (deserted) status quo. By making the objections about traffic, you implicitly concede that the Wal-Mart would be very popular there. In addition, as the article reported, the site has been shopped to many retailers and only Wal-Mart has shown interest.

So if Wal-Mart wants to anchor the site (and no one else does) and everyone, even the opponents, admits that it will be popular, why exactly should it not come in there?

If we want to talk about curb cuts, aesthetic consistency, etc., those are other issues.

Posted 1 year ago #
Wolf Starr
Columbus
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We can do better.

Posted 1 year ago #
Tigertree
771 N. High St.
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I disagree that a bad company is better than a vacant site. Look at the Arena Distric uproar over the casino. I am not advocating one way or the other for a Walmart in Westerville, and I don't think Walmart and a casino are at the same point in the bad company spectrum. I just don't think that is a true statement.

Posted 1 year ago #
Brant
Gahanna
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Didn't the same thing happen at Carriage Place on Bethel Rd? Wal-Mart came in and replaced a vacant Big Bear and Drug Emporium. Seems like it worked out okay.

Posted 1 year ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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gramarye wrote >>
From the Dispatch article:

Company representatives said they courted 22 retailers, but Walmart was the only one willing to take on a lease and be part of the revitalization.

I don't think Wal-Mart is a bad company, but even a bad company is better than a vacant Lazarus site.

If the site has been sitting vacant for awhile, it's probably for a good reason.

If only 1 out of 22 retailers are interested, I'd say it could be a sign that the area is over-served with retail already.

Posted 1 year ago #
gramarye
In Exile
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Walker wrote >>

gramarye wrote >>
From the Dispatch article:

Company representatives said they courted 22 retailers, but Walmart was the only one willing to take on a lease and be part of the revitalization.

I don't think Wal-Mart is a bad company, but even a bad company is better than a vacant Lazarus site.

If the site has been sitting vacant for awhile, it's probably for a good reason.
If only 1 out of 22 retailers are interested, I'd say it could be a sign that the area is over-served with retail already.

If that's true, then the question would be what it's not overserved with. I presume that residential is out, given that we appear to have at least as much residential saturation as retail saturation. I doubt most people in Westerville would be looking to rezone it for industrial use even were there an industrial option. It's basically entirely paved, so it wouldn't even offer much of an opportunity for a community garden or some other low-maintenance use that could be revisited later when the market for some kind of real estate picks up again.

Posted 1 year ago #
Tigertree
771 N. High St.
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I generally don't believe in Walmart drying up business fears. Smaller stores should (in my opinion) be offering something that a larger, less flexible, store cannot. If the area is saturated to the point that 21 of 22 retailers thought it was a bad move, I might be inclined to throw it into the other category though. Westerville should probably consider the possibility that this will suck the energy out of their core and put it on the outskirts.
I should note this is coming from someone that has never been to Westerville with the exception of Irony Pony...

Posted 1 year ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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It could just sit empty. It's not like it would be that much more of an eyesore than a Walmart. ;)

Posted 1 year ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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Westerville Walmart hearing will be first of many
By BRET LIEBENDORFER
Published: Sunday, October 31, 2010

If Walmart is coming to Westerville it's going to be a drawn out process.

That was the message sent by Westerville Planning Commission on Wednesday, Oct. 27, when its members tabled a redevelopment proposal from the Hadler Cos., owners of the Westerville Square shopping center.

READ MORE: http://www.columbuslocalnews.com/articles/2010/10/31/multiple_papers/news/allwalmart_20101029_0622pm_2.txt

Posted 1 year ago #
fclaugus
Northwest Columbus
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Anything happen at the hearing on November 22 ?

The next public hearing for the redevelopment of the Westerville Square is planned for 7 p.m. Nov. 22 in the City Council Chambers, 21 S. State St.

Posted 1 year ago #