Daryl Birney of Warrenton does not like Walmart.

However, as a member of the Warrenton Planning Commission, he cast the deciding vote on Thursday that let the retailer build a store along Oregon Route 101.

When a motion was made on three applications regarding the development, Birney joined commissioners Paul Mitchell and Henry Balensifer in voting against it.

“It was more a protest vote more than anything else,” Birney said.

When the five-member commission decided to break the applications – including the overall site design review – into three separate motions, Birney was the swing vote in favor of Walmart.

“The fact that we didn’t like Walmart had nothing to do with it,” he said. “We didn’t have a leg to stand on. We needed to have a finding of fact to tell Walmart what it did wrong, and the truth was it did nothing wrong.”

Rachel Wall, senior manager of community affairs for Walmart, said the retailer will ultimately prove positive for Warrenton and the northwest section of the Oregon coast.

“We look forward to bringing hundreds of jobs and a new, affordable shopping option to Warrenton,” she said.

The land-use applications came before the commission from PacLand, a Seattle development company working on behalf of Walmart. The proposal now goes to the Warrenton City Council.

The post Swing vote may bring Walmart to Oregon coast appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

Ground is scheduled to be broken today on a project to add a 90,000-square-foot Walmart store in North Portland, and company and city officials are excited about what will be on top.

“It’s going to be the biggest green roof in the state,” said Rachel Wall, senior manager of community affairs for Wal-Mart. “We’re proud to incorporate (it) as we continue to strive to create a more sustainable world.”

The 40,600-square-foot green roof will be nearly 10,000 square feet bigger than the city’s largest – atop the Ramona apartment complex. Additionally, it will have only three parts around 13,000 square feet each; comparatively, the Ramona roof has seven sections around 4,000 square feet each.

The difference is significant in regard to measurement of water runoff, according to officials with the Bureau of Environmental Services; it will use the roof to conduct a three-year performance study. Tom Liptan, a landscape architect with the BES and an eco-roof expert, admitted that he was surprised when the company contacted the city about the project. However, he believes it presents a big opportunity.

“If it is indeed this big, it would give us an opportunity to measure stormwater management performance on something we really don’t have,” he said. “We don’t have anything near it.”

Each of the green roof’s three sections will have different soil levels to let the city determine which level is most effective in reducing stormwater runoff. The results of the study could affect construction costs, Liptan said.

“The thicker the soil, the heavier the weight and the more structural upgrading to hold the weight,” he said. “That means more money for building.”

A number of organizations, including the Audubon Society of Portland and the Urban Greenspaces Institute, were involved in the roof design process. Because of its size, the roof has potential to generate more data than for just water runoff, said Mike Houck, executive director of the institute.

One of the sections will feature a rougher soil type, which will provide information on what sort of plant life can survive in it. Additionally, certain sections will have different habitat features, such as water basins or compost piles, which could help attract animals.

“I’m personally hopeful at some point we might be able to provide some habitat for some wildlife, certainly for invertebrates,” Houck said. “You might get some meaningful value above and beyond the stormwater.”

Wal-Mart has done only one project like this before, in Chicago. The company chose Portland as the next location for a green roof because of its moderate climate, Wall said.

Wal-Mart earlier this year officially announced it would join the Hayden Meadows office-retail complex, near Delta Park. Two vacant buildings – one that had never been occupied – will be demolished to create space for the new building, Wall said.

Area residents support the project because it will provide jobs and convenience, according to Maryhelen Kincaid, land use chairwoman of the East Columbia Neighborhood Association.

Kincaid was somewhat surprised that the project encountered little resistance from residents; she had noticed hostile reactions to other Wal-Mart proposals in Portland. Some people voiced concerns over the traffic implications of this development – no public transportation is provided to the complex – but overall the process has been smooth, she added.

“There’s not the huge outcry that you see in other neighborhoods,” she said. “I believe that most (neighbors) have just said, ‘If you don’t like Wal-Mart, then don’t shop there.”

The green roof played a factor in residents’ support, Kincaid added.

“We heard it’s state of the art and will provide some environmental benefits,” she said. “Overall, we’re excited for the project to be happening.”

The store is expected to open shortly after construction wraps up – probably in fall 2013.

The post Wal-Mart’s new store will have Portland’s largest green roof appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

Wal-Mart has finalized a deal to move into an 8,500-square-foot space in the Centennial Block on Southwest Morrison Street.

The building will be used by the company’s design teams, together known as Walmart Labs, to create mobile applications, according to company officials. One of these teams is made from employees of Small Society, a Portland-based mobile application developer that was purchased by Wal-Mart earlier this year.

The company already has a large presence in Portland with multiple locations in the metro area and another location expected to open in Gresham soon.

Wal-Mart Labs is expected to move into the building Sept. 1.

The post Walmart Labs moving into downtown Portland building appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

Wal-Mart will build a new store in Tigard, the retail giant announced Wednesday.

The store, expected to open October 2013, will offer the company’s staple range of groceries, home wares and a pharmacy.

Construction of the 137,000-square-foot building will also trigger requirements for public street improvements including the widening of a mile-long stretch of Oregon Route 99W, improvements to several local off-ramps and a string of other small street construction projects in the area surrounding the Southwest Dartmouth Street store.

The Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal-Mart is touting the Tigard store’s sustainability efforts, including “earth-friendly flooring” that is made from a mix of recycled fly ash and concrete, recycled steel and plastics, wetland preservation and an advanced HVAC system.

Wal-Mart has 31 stores in Oregon and reports that its new store will employ 300 people.

The post Wal-Mart confirms new store in Tigard appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

Wal-Mart projects in Oregon

In addition to expanding a store in the Lents neighborhood, Wal-Mart officials are involved in other projects around the state.

• Developers TMT Development and PACLAND are in the early permitting process to build an 80,000-square-foot Walmart store at the southern end of Delta Park East in North Portland.

• Wal-Mart last month announced that it plans to convert a 43,000-square-foot former Ashley Furniture HomeStore, at 17275 NW Cornell Road in Beaverton, into a 43,000-square-foot Walmart neighborhood market store.

• Remodels and expansions are in the works for Walmart stores in Newport, Cottage Grove and Dallas. All three projects are in the permitting process. 

The Lents neighborhood in Southeast Portland for years has lacked a full-service grocery store.

But when Wal-Mart introduced an expansion plan that called for the addition of groceries to its store at Southeast 82nd Avenue and Holgate Boulevard, the Lents Neighborhood Association pushed for even more improvements.

Since last July, Wal-Mart officials have talked with both the neighborhood association and the Portland mayor’s office about how to add 21,500 square feet of space to its existing 134,000-square-foot store. And after nearly a year of give-and-take, the retailer recently submitted plans for administrative approval from the city.

“We don’t have a place to get fresh produce by biking or walking,” said Nick Christensen, chairman of the Lents Neighborhood Association. “Say what you will, but there’s a need for groceries in Lents, and this fills a niche.”

For nearly eight years, Wal-Mart officials have received comments from customers about the need for an expansion of the 15-year-old store, said Jennifer Spall, a senior public affairs manager for the retailer based in Bentonville, Ark.

“Let’s just say the Lents store isn’t what we use as an example when we are pitching a new store,” Spall said.

Wal-Mart initially decided to add space to accommodate deli, bakery, fresh produce and organic items. Officials also planned a modest face-lift for the building’s facade. But when company officials briefed Mayor Sam Adams‘ office and Lents residents on expansion plans, both parties said they wanted more.

Residents expressed interest in the addition of an entrance for pedestrians on Holgate Boulevard, installation of solar panels and construction of improvements to aid pedestrians and bicyclists.

Wal-Mart responded with some dramatic changes. Architects added windows above the main entrance to let in more natural light and create a more inviting space. They also added the pedestrian entrance that will have a grab-and-go section.

A raised pathway for pedestrians and bicyclists will be built through the middle of the parking lot and lead to a covered bike plaza. The plaza’s roof will have solar panels, which will fully power the surrounding lighting.

Store officials also are looking into the possibility of drafting an agreement with the neighborhood association that would limit late-night deliveries and ensure a store manager would be present at some association meetings.

“I’ve been pleasantly surprised (working with Wal-Mart),” Christensen said. “Adams came to the plate and led negotiations between the store, his office and us, and I think something good has come out of it.”

Spall concurred, noting that Christensen and Lents residents were straightforward in their requests.

Store officials now are waiting on a determination of completeness, which basically acknowledges that correct documentation is in place. City approval could be granted in about 60 days.

Wal-Mart officials would then issue a prequalification/request for proposals for the project, Spall said. The firm would like to use a local general contractor and subcontractors, but the work will be bid competitively with no advantage given to local firms, she added.

“The expansion will take between nine and 12 months,” Spall said. “We will operate through the entire project.”

Wal-Mart officials plan to add 85 employees, including about 57 full-time staffers, to help run the expanded store. All 85 positions will include benefits.

“There was a concern that this expansion would impede on us getting a grocery store in the neighborhood, which is an important part of economic development (in Lents),” Christensen said. “But from my perspective, this expansion won’t deter a store like New Seasons because they don’t really compete.”

The post Walmart in Lents neighborhood to expand appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.

Many in Cornelius thought it wouldn’t happen, but this fall it will: Ground will be broken on a Wal-Mart Supercenter on 12 acres of land at the west end of the city. And for Cornelius City Manager David Waffle, the timing couldn’t be better.

That’s because Waffle expects the project to generate enough money from development fees that the city’s planning department should be able to ride out the recession. He said it’s the best project at the best time for the small community between Hillsboro and Forest Grove.

The 200,000-square-foot Wal-Mart Supercenter, which will be built at 202 N. Adair St., was in the planning stage for four years before it was put out to bid by its developer, PACLand. Bidding will close on Tuesday.
Cornelius’ Wal-Mart Supercenter will be the first in Washington County. Waffle said the project will bolster the city’s economy, putting 300 people to work. That includes 100 construction workers, who are expected to start before November and work through August 2010.

Even though the project bounced from one Washington County city to another, finding opposition wherever it went for its size or controversial business practices, Cornelius embraced it.

“If destination shopping can be thought of as Wal-Mart, I think there’s an element to that here now,” Waffle said. “We like to think the store will create a bookend to the Fred Meyer we have on the opposite side of town.”

The project was originally delayed due to a retail downturn last year. But now, with the recession in full swing, the retail giant can’t wait any longer, Wal-Mart spokesman Josh Phair said. During the construction delay, Wal-Mart engineered a way to incorporate storm-water management into the design.

The modified plan for the Cornelius store reduces its size while maintaining its architectural features and design components, Phair said.

Phair said it was against company policy to divulge project costs, but Wal-Mart Supercenters in the past have cost between $50 million and $80 million.

During the project’s long planning process, both Wal-Mart and independent planning consultants studied the potential traffic impacts the store will generate.

Cornelius planner Richard Reynolds said traffic should not be a problem. Independent studies suggest the store will generate about 9,000 extra trips per day, which the city’s streets can accommodate.

Despite those findings, some in the community still worry about the effects of heavy traffic in the city.
Kathleen Murphy-Hogan and her sister Mary Murphy-Holub are the co-owners of Murphy’s Furniture.

Although Wal-Mart is known for undercutting its competitors on prices, the Murphy family believes congested traffic will have a greater effect on the community.

“Bad traffic will kill a business faster than a Wal-Mart will,” Hogan said.

The post Timing is everything for Wal-Mart project appeared first on Daily Journal of Commerce.