[StBernard] Chalmette WalMart Commits to Reopen

[Westley Annis]

Chalmette WalMart Commits to Reopen
 
After almost four years of anticipation, WalMart Corporation representative
Tice White has confirmed in a meeting with St. Bernard Parish officials that
the Chalmette store will be operational by the beginning of March, 2010.
 
The building owned by the Meraux Foundation was heavily damaged during
Hurricane Katrina resulting in areas of slab separation, the entire
electrical system was ruined, and the plumbing in the building's foundation
was separated at its connections.  WalMart representatives have been in an
evaluation and planning mode for months as the building was looked over
again and bids were received to do the repair work.  While no official
dollar amount was released in terms of anticipated repair costs, the number
exceeds seven figures to bring the building from its Katrina damaged state
to new operations.
 
The Reopening will signify a three year culmination of discussions between
parish government officials and WalMart officials.  "There is something
about the symbolic nature of WalMart reopening," said Parish President Craig
P. Taffaro, Jr. "For many people, it is another one of those recovery
anchors that means more normalcy for our residents and those of the
surrounding area."  
 
The opening is also significant to St. Bernard Parish as a whole due to the
impact on direct sales tax revenues which helps fund basic governmental,
sheriff, and educational services.  It is projected that the sales tax
impact on parish government alone could be as much as a million dollars a
year.  Wayne Landry, chair of the parish government's finance committee,
admits that an extra million dollars a year in sales tax revenue is critical
going into a year that could see a budget reduction of nearly five million
dollars.
 
"WalMart is extremely excited to announce our plans to reopen the
Supercenter in Chalmette," WalMart's Tice White said. "We look forward to
the opportunity to once again serve our loyal customers in Chalmette and St.
Bernard Parish by saving them money so they can live better.

"We expect construction to start within the next few weeks and remain
through the end of the year. We currently estimate a March 2010 grand
opening. Once reopened, the new store will occupy 175,000 square feet of the
original 228,000 square feet of the original building for build out in the
future."
WalMart believes that the reopened Chalmette store will draw from a greater
geographic region than its predecessor. "We believe that despite a reduced
population in the area, the store will draw from New Orleans and the east
bank of Plaquemines parishes in wider regions than pre-Katrina," confirmed
Tice White.  White explained that part of the evaluation and planning
process was to put the right store in the Chalmette location.  While the
store will be reduced somewhat in size, it will include the traditional
items with a reduced grocery line.
 
District A Councilman Ray Lauga said he is grateful to hear the
much-anticipated confirmation from the large retailer located in his
district.
 
"I am excited that WalMart has made this commitment, and I am looking
forward to the convenience and improvement of the quality of the life in the
district and in the parish," Lauga said.
 
Meraux Foundation representatives expressed excitement about the reopening
as a positive step in the recovery process and acknowledged their
willingness to follow the lead of whatever the best use of the property was
for the parish.  When WalMart did not immediately return following Hurricane
Katrina in August 2005, the WalMart Corporation and the Meraux Foundation
offered the use of the property in the recovery process.  Since that time,
the parking lot area has been home to several recovery related operations
such as the FEMA Disaster Relief Station, the Pastor's Relief Program that
served thousands food, clothing, medical supplies, and basic essentials,
office space for SBA and the FEMA Long Term Recovery office, mental health
and health clinic offices, and a model Katrina cottage.  All of these
operations were offered at no charge, other than the medical clinic which
paid a dollar a month to legalize the lease transaction.  Recently, in
anticipation of the return of the retail store, the medical clinic was moved
across the highway to another Meraux Foundation owned piece of property with
the same basic free rent option. 
 
"We are very excited about WalMart returning," added Floyd Gue, president of
the Meraux Foundation board. "Those services are very much needed,
especially at a time while we are rebuilding. We felt that it was in the
best interest of the parish if the Meraux Foundation would offer land space
for the medical clinic until the land that we donated for the hospital was
built on."
 
The lone remaining building on the WalMart site is a triple wide office
trailer which will be auctioned later this month as part of a surplus
auction hosted by parish government.
 
President Taffaro acknowledges the constant balancing of many agencies and
needs to get to this point, "the public and government benefit to reaching a
commitment from WalMart was critical but had to be balanced with the public
need for medial protection provided by the medial clinic; this was a
coordinated experience between FEMA, WalMart, the Meraux Foundation, the
Franciscans, GOHSEP, and Parish Government not all of whom always had the
same priorities at the same time.  Everyone wanted to do what was best, but
the timing of each agencies ability to move on what was best created some
challenges.  I'm happy that we have reached a point of commitment, now we
will continue to negotiate any possibilities of pushing the date of
opening."