Coming soon: Wal Mart "Towncenters"

[Bill Hoff]

Who wants to live that #walmartlife?

Also, this is disturbing to me.

The nation's largest retailer wants to redevelop its sprawling parking lots into bustling town centers.

Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) is evaluating whether to transform underused land at its stores across the U.S. (including metro Atlanta) into new offerings, such as restaurants, shops, food halls, parks, entertainment venues and more, said a top executive with Walmart during an Oct. 23 retail conference in Atlanta.

It's a new concept called the "Walmart Town Center," said LB Johnson, vice president of U.S. Realty Operations for Walmart, the keynote speaker at the 2018 International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) Southeast Conference & Deal Making.

"We want to provide community space, areas for the community to dwell – a farmer's market, an Easter egg hunt, trick or treating," Johnson said. "We want to provide pedestrian connectivity from our box to the experiential zones that are planned on our footprint. We want to augment these experiences and activities with more food and beverage, with health and fitness, essential services and entertainment."


Full story:
https://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2018/10/29/walmart-wants-to-redevelop-parking-lots-into.html

[Adam White]

[thelakelander]

Good for Wal-mart. Might as well find ways to maximize those massive parking lots in high profile suburban locations all across the country. Hopefully, more chains and strip mall developers will move in that direction.

[jax_hwy_engineer]

I used to live in the Kendall Pointe Town Homes over near the Regency Walmart, definitely not an experience I'd ever want to replicate. When the only walkable storefront from your house is a Walmart, it leads to a pretty dreary outlook. Than again, that Walmart has like 4 empty outparcels, and Kendall Pointe is pretty depressing altogether.

[Captain Zissou]

Welcome to Costco. I love you.

[copperfiend]

This is what communities like Oakleaf already feel like. Cheaply made, mass produced living.

[thelakelander]

Eight years ago, I stumbled across one just north of DT Long Beach that wasn't that bad.





However, the Wal-Mart is now closed:

Link: https://goo.gl/maps/DmgAVWKdmQo