Walmart coming to Kalkaska
William Wertz, a director of communications for Walmart, said corporate representatives will be presenting plans to local officials later this year, with hopes of breaking ground on the proposed new store in the first half of 2015 and then opening about a year after that.
“We’re going to build a super centre there,” Wertz said, in responding to an inquiry made by Leader staffers last year. “I hope that’s good news.
“We expect to present the plans to the city in November or December,” he added, stating the permit process is expected to take several months.
“It takes about a year to build the store.”
According to Wertz, the retailer plans to build the store on US-131 in Kalkaska, near the intersection with Nash Road/County Road 612. That includes a 128,000-square-foot building that will have a garden centre, drive-through pharmacy and gas station.
“It’s a smaller than average super centre,” Wertz said, adding that most super centres are between 150,000 to 160,000 square feet.
“We’ll have about 300 associates (employees) at this store,” he said. “So, there are new jobs for the community and, for the customer, affordable prices and the ability to do one-stop shopping.”
As to why Kalkaska will now be the home of another Walmart Super Centre, Wertz said such decisions are based on a variety of reasons, including customer input. The location, along the busy US-131 corridor was also a factor.
“We have a lot of opportunities (for new stores),” he said. “A lot of people want a Walmart.
“I think this is a great spot for a Walmart.”
Currently, the nearest Walmart Super Centres would be in either Traverse City, about 27 miles from downtown Kalkaska, or just over 40 miles away in Gaylord.
source:
