I had to laugh when I read a Fort Mill Times editorial this week about Wal-Mart building a wall of stores around our community. I posted Sunday the news about a new Wal-Mart planned for Highway 21 and Flint Hill road and another store is planned in the Lake Wylie area. What I did not say is Wal-Mart has been planning a new store in Lancaster County on Highway 521 in Indian Land. Wal-Mart and Lancaster County officials did not know when construction will begin of the Indian Land Wal-Mart.

Still not enough shop to you drop? Construction for a new Wal-Mart is schedule to begin this year in the Newport community northwest of Rock Hill near the intersection of Highway 161 and Heckle Boulevard.

It is obvious that many big box retailers not just Wal-Mart have targeted our area because of the tremendous growth in our area. Lowe’s plans to start construction of a new store in the Queensgate development district on the corner of Hghway 521 and SC 160.

The debate is on whether the expansive retail development will negatively or positively impact our area. The fact is its coming whether we are ready or not. I will be surprised if all start construction this year based on the current economic conditions. Time will tell.

Attention shoppers, two new Wal-mart’s are in the planning stages. The new Tega Cay Wal-Mart opened March 7th, 2008 in Tega Cay off of highway 160 in the new Stone Crest development area. Wal-Mart is already keeping the York County Zoning department busy with two more possible Wal-Mart’s in our area.

One proposed new Wal-Mart would be located near US highway 21 and Flint Hill road near the Regent Park subdivision. Landmark Development purchased the land recently with the intent to build a Wal-Mart which could open by 2010. The Fort Mill Times reports the Regent Park Home Owners Association is already raising concerns about Wal-Mart opening near their community

The second proposed Wal-Mart is in the Lake Wylie area at the three points intersection of SC 557, 274, and 49 next to a new Lowes. The Lake Wylie Pilot reported Lowe’s has submitted design drawings for a new Lowes at the Mill Creek Commons but the Wal-Mart has not yet submitted proposed designs to York County yet.

Get ready for a traffic change on highway 160. I reported at the beginning of the month the Tega Cay Wal-Mart will open March 17th. I went to the new Wal-Mart site today and caught the employees (sorry associates) coming back from a lunch break. I asked several associates when will the store open. All associates answered the same, Friday March 7th.

The Wal-Mart sign is up, merchandise is arriving and stocked daily so get ready to shop, fight traffic, etc. The store does not come without controversy. Manly locals fought hard to keep Wal-Mart from coming. They obviously lost. Tega Cay annexed the development and pushed for harsh architectural standards. I will say the store has a very unique front.

Will there you have it. On March 7th you can stay away or shop to you drop.

Here is a store fact list from Walmartstores.com

Store fast facts

• Location: 1151 Stonecrest Blvd., Tega Cay, S.C.
• 203,000-square-foot Wal-Mart Supercenter
• Grand opening celebration: 7:30 a.m., Friday, March 7
• Store manager: Mark Anderson

Charitable giving
$18,000 in charitable contributions to 10 area organizations:

• Boys and Girls Club of York County
• Carolina Community Care, Inc.
• City of Tega Cay
• Gold Hill Elementary School
• I’m a Kool Kid Foundation
• Gold Hill Middle School
• Habitat For Humanity International, Inc.
• Fort Mill High School
• Rock Hill Parks Foundation
• The Salvation Army

Store features

• Unique streetscape façade and extensive landscaping including gazebos, fountains, pagodas, park benches, and planters.
• Full line of groceries, beer and wine, bakery goods, deli foods, frozen foods, meat and dairy products, fresh produce, apparel and accessories, fine jewelry, Tire & Lube Express, expanded lawn and garden center, health and beauty aids, expanded electronics and home entertainment department, toys, one-hour photo lab, vision center, pharmacy and Wal-Mart Connect Center.
• Additionally, leased areas in the store include SmartStyle Family Hair Salon, a Regal Nail Salon, a Woodforest Bank branch and a Subway restaurant.
• The new Supercenter will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week

Employment

• The store plans to employ approximately 350 associates.
• The average wage at Wal-Mart for full-time hourly associates in South Carolina is $10.77 per hour.*
• Store Manager Mark Anderson began his Wal-Mart career in 1998 at a Wal-Mart store in Spartanburg.
• Wal-Mart benefits – available to eligible full- and part-time associates – include healthcare insurance with no lifetime maximum. Wal-Mart also offers a 401(k) plan and profit sharing contributions, whether an associate contributes or not, store discount cards, company performance-based bonuses, stock purchase program and life insurance.

* Average wage taken February 2008. See www.walmartfacts.com for details.

For more information

• Store manager: Mark Anderson, 803-578-4140
• Wal-Mart information online: www.walmartfacts.com; merchandise sales: www.walmart.com

The Tega Cay city council is working on transferring $320,000 from the Parks and Recreation budget to finish the Glennon Center. Residents passed a $3.1 million bond in 2006 for the new center. But because of rising construction costs the bond amount fell short of the actual construction costs and the city needs more cash to complete the center.

The city council considered building a smaller center but opted to keep the center at it’s planned size and not finish the basement interior. The additional cash will allow half of the basement to be finished for use.

The transfer of money from one depart to another is not without controversy. The concern is whether the left over money in the Parks and Recreation budget will fund park projects slated for the new Glendale development. The city hopes the increased tax revenue from retailers like the Tega Cay Wal-Mart and the Stonecrest development will help fund other future projects.

To read more about the Tega Cay money transfer, see Fort Mill Times Jonathan Allen February 6th story.

I posted an update in January that Mayor Bob Runde announced during a council meeting that the Tega Cay, SC Wal-Mart is scheduled to open March 17, 2008. I took a look at the Wal-Mart’s store opening website and did not find an update. One of my Tega Cay sources told me this week that he was at the Wal-Mart at the beginning of the week. The fixtures were recently installed but he did not see merchandise yet. He was told Wal-Mart is still shooting for the March open date. I took a picture of the new store front in the end of January 2008. The store front is definitely unique and looks like many small stores instead of one large store.   

Many of us have been complaining recently about the increased traffic congestion especially during rush hours on Highway 160. I’ll bet we will have more traffic complaints once the Wal-Mart opens. That’s the price we pay for progress. 

 http://www.walmartfacts.com/StateByState/?id=40

Tega Cay Mayor Bob Runde published an update in December 2007 of the new retail and housing development under construction. The Stonecrest and Graystone developments are located in newly annexed Tega Cay on SC highway 160.

The Mayor’s update:

• Wal-Mart – The building is on schedule for completion in January. This will allow a March opening.
• Petro-Express – The new Petro Express is open and represents the first commercial property
  operational in Stonecrest.
• Graystone Crossing – The ribbon cutting ceremony took place today.
• Taco Bell will occupy an out parcel and a second out parcel will be occupied by a restaurant, which has
  yet to be announced. Announced tenants are a Nail Spa, Benjamin Moore Paint, Great Clips, Smile
  Cleaners and Fresh Fruit Boutique Company. It is anticipated there will also be a national Wireless
  Company, a Women’s Dress shop and another restaurant. Eighty to Ninety percent occupancy is
  expected by April.
• Stonecrest Villages – These retail stores should be completed in the first quarter of 2008.
• The Terraces at Stonecrest – This project will consist of 71 town homes on the south side of Hubert Graham
  Way. Final approval is pending.

To read more of the Mayor’s update Click here