The six neighborhood associations along Lower Greenville formed a coalition a couple of years ago to foster the planned development district now in place there. And when they heard last year that Walmart was coming to the neighborhood, they wanted to make sure the world’s largest grocer was going to do things right.
So the coalition started meeting with Walmart about eight months ago to find out exactly the plans for this Walmart Neighborhood Market store.
“We wanted to see what they were doing with landscaping, lighting and after-hours use,” says neighborhood resident Melissa Kingston.
The city just spent around $1.3 million to gussy up Lower Greenville from Richmond to Lewis, giving it a more pedestrian-friendly feel. And neighbors wanted Walmart to continue that look and feel from Richmond to Belmont. Neighbors also worried that signs and lights would cause light pollution and that a big, empty parking lot could draw late-night drunks and worse.
So Walmart agreed to create a landscaping plan with evergreen trees and shrubs. Plans also call for replacing the sidewalk and adding multicolored pavers to jibe with the street scape along the improved stretch of Lower Greenville.
Walmart also committed to using the latest lighting technology available to reduce light pollution. And the retailer vowed to hire a security firm to keep the parking lot safe at night.
“Even if we didn’t get everything we wanted, it’s a good start for, hopefully, a mutually beneficial relationship with Walmart and the residents around Lower Greenville going forward,” Kingston says.
A grand opening for the Walmart on Lower Greenville is set for Oct. 17.
