It’s the question every Alachua city official has probably been asked countless times over the last year – Where is the proposed Alachua Walmart Supercenter store? Monday, the answer to that question became a bit clearer when the mega-retailer submitted site plans for the massive 155,005 square foot store.
City of Alachua officials had little to offer in the way of details, which are likely contained in the more than 500-page submittal. Alachua City Manager Traci Cain said, “For many people, this has been a much anticipated and awaited project and now that it’s in the City’s hands, we can begin to put it through our development review process.”
There’s no sure-fire way of determining how long it will take for Walmart’s site plans to be seen by the planning and zoning board and city commission, Cain said.
“If the site plans were absolutely perfect, we’re probably looking at a three-month internal review process, but if there are adjustments to be made, that will likely extend the time before it’s going to be ready for a public hearing.”
Planning & Community Development Director Kathy Winburn said a review process of about 60 days by the city’s internal development review team is typical on smaller, less complex developments than the Walmart project.
Situated along the south side of Interstate 75 and behind the existing McDonald’s restaurant in Alachua, the more than 87-acre site where the Walmart store is proposed also encompasses several other components. According to the plans submitted on behalf of Walmart, the store itself will require the use of about 30 acres including parking immediately surrounding the store and an additional retail building.
Artistic renderings submitted with site plans for the building depict a multi-dimensional storefront similar to that used at the Waldo Road supercenter in Gainesville. Loading docks for freight trucks are slated to be located on the extreme southwest side of the building, facing the interstate highway. Most of the store’s parking is located in front of the building, but the parking lot wraps around the sides of the store as well.
The supercenter location will not have a tire and lube facility or a gas station, but does contain an outparcel which will likely become a retail store or restaurant.
The proposed detached retail building would not exceed 13,500 square feet and is located in a strip on the east side of the parking lot.
Site plans also call for a park and ride facility near U.S. Highway 441, in the northeast portion of the Walmart parcel. At less than one acre, the park and ride facility is for public use according to the documents submitted Monday.
Some of the 87-acre parcel of land is not being developed by Walmart, but is included in site plans because Walmart is constructing the major access road from U.S. 441 to all of the 87-acre site.
In July 2009, Walmart officials conducted a neighborhood meeting at Alachua Elementary to discuss plans for the site. Upon a cursory review, proposals shown to the public at that meeting last year were largely reflected in Walmart’s submittal on Monday.
Walmart has been actively pursuing the Alachua location since 2006, but the project was stalled by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) due to drainage and road access issues.
The FDOT would not issue the road-access permit until Walmart officials could specify how their store would impact U.S. 441 and other nearby roads.
The entire development, which includes parcels not owned by Walmart, is projected to create 15,214 new trips to the area each day.
After months of negotiations and number crunching, FDOT granted Walmart a notice of intent to grant the permits on Aug. 28, 2008. Those permits are valid for one year and can be extended if requested by the company.
Walmart did make an initial site-plan submittal to the City of Alachua in August 2009, but those plans apparently missed the mark in meeting Alachua’s requirements.
Walmart is also required to conduct and submit a market study detailing the impacts of the proposed store.
Typical Walmart Supercenters employ 250 associates with an average full-time hourly salary of $11.89 according to the company’s statistics. The company stocks about 142,000 items in a supercenter store.
Walmart currently operates 274 stores, clubs and markets in Florida, and the company runs six distribution centers in Florida, including one in Alachua.
The company opened its first Florida store in Quincy in 1982.
To see more architectural renderings submitted by Walmart, visit alachuatoday.com.