A new Walmart store in the Center Grove area has been approved, and you could see construction start as soon as this week.
Work on a parking lot and drainage pond for the new superstore could begin this week, and the company expects the new 152,434-square-foot store to open in September 2014. The store, which will sell groceries and feature a deli and a garden center, will be located on State Road 135, south of Smith Valley Road, near Home Depot.
The project already has gotten approvals from the city technical review committee and plan commission for its drainage plans. Greenwood’s board of public works and safety approved Walmart’s plans for drainage, parking and sewer lines Monday. That approval was the final one the company needed before starting construction.
Work on a parking lot and a drainage pond could begin this week, city engineer Mark Richards said.
And road work meant to improve traffic flow around the new store likely will begin next year.
The plan commission rejected two Walmart store proposals about 10 years ago that would have required annexing land and rezoning property in a neighboring subdivision from residential to commercial. The current site is where the retailer had planned a larger store in 2004.
This time, the land already was zoned for commercial development, and, even though residents raised concerns, the city could not turn down the store because it is an appropriate use for the property.
One of the top concerns residents raised was the impact on traffic, especially at the intersection of Smith Valley Road and State Road 135 that motorists said already is congested.
As part of building the new store, Walmart agreed to pay for road upgrades on the west side of State Road 135 and the south side of Smith Valley Road. The city wants Walmart to pay for a new median on Smith Valley Road, west of State Road 135, which is meant to stop left turns into nearby stores and home driveways, and to add a right-turn lane at the intersection.
The road work, meant to reduce traffic backups at the intersection, is estimated to cost about $150,000, Richards said. Walmart will pay the city to oversee the road work.
Construction likely won’t start until early next year because the city has to get bids from contractors. The city could hire a contractor by mid-October, but construction likely wouldn’t start then due to weather.
The city plans to finish the road work before the new Walmart opens in September 2014, he said.
Walmart next needs to apply for building permits from the city and can set a date to start construction on the building within the next month or so, said Dan Kuester, a civil design consultant for Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Construction. The new store would be third Walmart in Johnson County.
The company still has to submit final building plans to the city and get the needed permits before building the actual store, Richards said. Walmart can submit plans and request building permits at any time, he said.
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