Walmart moving forward in Atascadero
Walmart announced plans this week to move forward with a new store in Atascadero. The new approximately 118,000 square foot Walmart at Del Rio Road and El Camino Real will offer customers a broad assortment of general merchandise and groceries as well as an outdoor garden center and full-service pharmacy. Additionally, the store will create approximately 250 permanent jobs and an estimated 100 temporary jobs during construction.
“This Walmart will not only supply our community with fresh and local produce, but it will also be a catalyst for economic growth with the hundreds of jobs it will provide,” said Atascadero Mayor Tom O’Malley. “The City Council and I have been supporters of this project from the beginning and I’m thrilled it is finally moving forward.”
The project was first approved by the City of Atascadero in 2012. Last July, the California Court of Appeals unanimously affirmed a trial court’s determination that the City did not violate provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in approving the proposed Walmart Supercenter.
“We appreciate the community’s patience and strong support for this store,” said Javier Angulo, Walmart public affairs director. “We are excited to move ahead and look forward to offering our Atascadero customers a convenient location for fresh, affordable groceries and value priced merchandise closer to where they live and work.”
A recent economic impact report by the Hatamiya group found that communities with Walmart Supercenters experience an increase in business growth and sales tax revenue when compared to communities without them. The report found that total taxable retail sales in California communities with Walmart Supercenters increased by an average of 20.3 percent after the opening of those stores. On average, California communities with Walmart Supercenters experienced even stronger gains in the number of retail business permits issued than those communities without Supercenters.
“This store will provide jobs, tax revenue, and a boost to other businesses in the area,” said Atascadero Chamber of Commerce President Linda Hendy. “The approval of this project is a huge success for our community.”
According to Walmart Director of Communications Delia Garcia, Walmart is “working through the permitting process and has not finalized a construction schedule.”
In 2014, Walmart spent $23.6 billion with California suppliers, paid more than $244 million in state and local taxes, and donated more than $47.6 million to local non-profits throughout California. For more information on Walmart’s impact on the state of California visit corporate.walmart.com.
