Retail giant Wal-Mart is staking its claim in the fast-growing northeast metro area.
The Bentonville, Ark.-based retailer confirmed that it has submitted plans for a 195,000- square-foot Supercenter at the northeast corner of East 104th Avenue and Tower Road in the fast-growing Reunion development in Commerce City.
The store would be the first major retail tenant in the development by Shea Homes and is expected to serve neighboring subdivisions as well.
“We’ve got about 7,000 rooftops and absolutely no convenience neighborhood retail” in the area, said Stephanie Salazar, Commerce City’s director of economic development. “It fills a big void.”
She described the project as a “private deal between Wal-Mart and Shea.” Shea officials did not return messages.
While Salazar predicted that the community will welcome the proposed store, plans to construct Wal-Marts in other local communities have met opposition from neighbors who worried about traffic and other problems.
“We will be working with Commerce City’s planning staff and elected officials to develop and build a store that’s going to work for us and, more importantly, for the community,” said Gray McGinnis, a senior public- affairs manager for Wal-Mart.
At 195,000 square feet, the store would be slightly smaller than most Supercenters, which typically range from 200,000 to 250,000 square feet.
Salazar said she was unaware of any economic incentives for the development.
Staff writer Kristi Arellano can be reached at 303-820-1902 or karellano@denverpost.com.
195,000 Size, in square feet, of the Wal-Mart Supercenter proposed for Commerce City
200,000 to 250,000 Size, in square feet, of typical Wal-Mart Supercenters
