Discount retailer to replace Publix in the Historic Westside Village.
Walmart is opening their fifth Metro Atlanta location — the Bentonville, Ark.-based retailer’s second “intown” Atlanta store. The first is at Howell Mill and Interstate 75.
The discount retailer will replace the now shuttered Vine City Publix Super Market on Martin L. King Jr. Drive in the Historic Westside Village. Publix closed in 2009.
Walmart filed a permit with the city of Atlanta for the new 70,000- to 80,000-square-foot location Thursday.
The permit specifics include the “takeover and expansion of existing Publix building to convert to a Walmart Supercenter.” The parking lot will also be expanded, according to the permit.
The Historic Westside Village Walmart will feature groceries, a pharmacy and financial services.
Walmart was not immediately available to comment.
Walmart Supercenter
825 Martin L. King Jr. Drive NW
Atlanta GA, 30314
16 Responses
What do you mean by fifth metro location? Do you mean the fifth inside the perimeter?
hi dan– yes, that’s probably a better way to describe it — the fifth location within I-285 and the second “intown.”
–cjs
This is fantastic news. It’s not only the second intown store, but it’s the FIRST on a MARTA rail line.
I’m not oblivious to the employment practices that make so many progressives hate WalMart — but I think that in the aggregate, the arrival of a WalMart, if built on the “intown” model, enhances a community. And I think that WalMart’s exposure to intown communities in Atlanta and elsewhere is turning it into a better company.
I look forward to shopping there. But hear me WalMart: I want all of your employees to be paid a decent wage. I want them to have health insurance. And I want them to have schedules that satisfy their work-home balance. If that means that prices go up a little bit, so be it.
Yes sir.
Oh wait, I’m in charge here LOL!
I personally do not support Walmart. I believe their employment practices are horrible and their business practices are unethical. If you want your product carried in their store it will be on their terms and at rock bottom prices. While this is good for the consumer (the ones who do shop there) it is not ideal for the manufacture. Additionally, it makes it harder for other retail stores to compete. It is almost like a monopoly of cheap price shopping. Additionally, I think Intown living, for the most part, brings a higher disposable income group. I think Walmart lowers these standards.
Therefore, I hope and support that respectfully their permit be denied.
“It’s not only the second intown store, but it’s the FIRST on a MARTA rail line”
The Chamblee WalMart is pretty close to the NE line.
“The Chamblee WalMart is pretty close to the NE line.”
Wow, you’re absolutely right! I didn’t even know they had a WalMart there. Thanks for the heads-up (and sorry for my misinformation).
Joe Pierce-
Explain why providing what your customers want at the prices they want to pay is unethical? The power of a buyer to set the prices they pay is called monopsony, but Walmart’s power is clearly not absolute. If a manufacturer doesn’t want to play by Walmart’s rules they can choose another method of distribution. A manufacturer sells through Walmart because of the volume they can sell and must be willing to accept lower margins in return. If they can’t make a profit they will not continue to sell to Walmart.
“I think Intown living, for the most part, brings a higher disposable income group. I think Walmart lowers these standards.” Huh? Have you ever been to Vine City? It’s a working class neighborhood, not Virginia-Highland. Many of the other neighborhoods this location would serve are much worse off.
You think the permit should be denied. People like us may not shop at Walmart, but people who do (often because that is where they can afford to shop) don’t deserve to have their options limited so that you can maintain your intown “standards.”
I don’t like it but that area needs something. That something being Walmart doesn’t sit well with me.
I didn’t realize there was so much land there. I’m not a big fan of Wal-mart. Unfortunately there is a store less than a mile from my neighbohood, in which I pass a vacated traditional store. Wal-mart does bring needed goods to communities that lack them. Smaller business have much better customer service but a neighborhood complete with the services that wal-mart provides in one building is hard to come by in inner cities and rural areas. Wal-mart has already managed to grab the suburbs and exurbs for the most part.
I think the permit should be denied and a developer should be courted to develop a mixed use development that considers the needs of the community (ie. grocery store, banks, childcare, auto repair etc.)
CX, been there done that. This land has been sitting vacant for 10 years for that exact reason. There were big plans for a mixed use development that failed under Bill Campbell. Minus the now closed Publix and Blockbuster, nothing ever came of this (although I believe the Chinese restaurant is still standing). A Walmart is absolutely the best use of land for this area, especially being so close to the nearby colleges. I lived in this area for years and still own property there, and after seeing Westside Village sit vacant for so long, I think this will be a great benefit to the neighborhood.
Terrible news. They won’t get a dollar of my money.
Anthony, you’re an idiot. Most of the people in this area don’t have means for transportation other than by foot. The Publix closing narrowed the options for the community. I live 1 mile up the street and now it takes me 20 minutes to drive to Howell Station or Atlantic Station. Not convenient. I can’t wait for the Wal-mart to open. I might even throw a party in honor of it’s grand opening! The neighborhood needs something BIG! This is it. Too many boarded- up homes and unemployed neighbors. Hopefully this will provide some local jobs and an outlet for further development in a potentially amazing area!
I hate walmart.
So…. when is this store supposed to open? I haven’t seen any building activity and the building permits were issued/applied for in June?
http://www.atlantaga.gov/index.aspx?page=658&recordid=849&returnURL=%2findex.asp
Store is slated to open January 2013! Groundbreaking is next Monday March 12th!