Who Wants Wal-Mart?
Whenever Wal-Mart wants to put one of its store in an urban area, there’s usually push back from the community. Right now, residents in two Georgia cities aren’t exactly welcoming Wal-Mart with open arms. That’s not the case in west Atlanta.
The shell of a former Publix stands on Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive in Atlanta’s Vine City neighborhood. In January, the more than 73,000 square foot space will be a Wal-Mart Supercenter. Company, city and county officials broke ground on the store today.
“We definitely knew we wanted to come to this community,” said Wal-Mart regional general manager Karen Brewer Edwards. “When we looked at all aspects in the community, the need here and the location, it was right.”
Edwards admits similar plans for Decatur and Athens are not getting the red carpet treatment. Those communities fear Wal-Mart brings too much traffic and hurts small businesses. She says that wasn’t the case in West Atlanta.
“We didn’t come against any opposition at all,” said Edwards.
That might be because this part of Atlanta doesn’t have a nearby grocery store.
“This is a neighborhood that was a food desert,” said City Councilor Ivory Young.
Young represents this neighborhood. He says people here depended on Publix for groceries and prescriptions.
“To have this in our community is more valuable than I can even mention,” said Young.
The new Wal-Mart will sell groceries and will include a pharmacy. It will also employ about 200 people.
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