Wal-Mart supercenters regularly get a bad reputation. From gutting local mom and pop shops, to increasing traffic and late night noise, it doesn’t seem like there’s a lot to like about the big box retailer. Salt Lake residents share these concerns over the new Wal-Mart coming to the Sugar House area.
The new Wal-Mart will occupy an old Kmart located on East Parley’s Way. The retailer is currently lobbying for a rezone of the area, which would allow them to demolish the old Kmart and construct a new, similarly sized building. As it stands, even without a city approved rezone, Wal-Mart will still occupy the old Kmart building at the end of the year.
In a recent meeting with residents, Wal-Mart representatives promised a better building should they be allowed to rebuild. The new Wal-Mart would be energy efficient and include a more landscaped lot.
Wal-Mart is coming regardless, and if the new building would have green standards in mind, a rezone couldn’t hurt. The current building is old, dilapidated and an eyesore. If allowed to rebuild, Wal-Mart could create a building that would potentially fit in with the area better than the old building.
For those complaining a Wal-Mart will gut local business, there is a rather simple solution: don’t shop there. Fears of mom and pop stores being put out of business by Wal-Mart can easily be assuaged by choosing to shop elsewhere. It’s unreasonable to think that the type of residents who patronize the local stores Sugar House is littered with will be magically drawn to the Wal-Mart. If the community bands together and patronizes other businesses, perhaps Wal-Mart will lose enough business to justify vacating the location. If not, then those who are currently upset about the location will have become their own worst enemies, not Wal-Mart. Ultimately, complaints about possibly detracting from small businesses are irrelevant in the discussion of a rezone because, again, Wal-Mart will just occupy the old building if they can’t build a new one.
The old Kmart, another big box retailer, peacefully existed for years within the Sugar House community. The new Wal-Mart will serve a purpose in the community for people that patronized the old Kmart. In the case of residents who oppose the retailer, continuing shopping at local businesses is the best solution.