Commentary by David Reitnauer
We appreciate the opportunity to present the plan for the new Walmart at Bennett Parkway and Michigan Road. Walmart will be a good neighbor providing day-to-day shopping and keeping Zionsville and Boone County shopping dollars inside the community.
Walmart has a strong reputation for being an integral part of the communities we serve. In 2012 alone, Walmart contributed more than $1 million to Hoosier charitable organizations, including our support for the Zionsville Lions Club 9/11 remembrance ceremonies.
The new store will be 156,000 square feet and includes design features to complement the look and feel of the Village. It will have a product selection reflecting the choices of Zionsville-area customers.
This store will be a major economic benefit to Zionsville and Boone County. The construction costs reflect a $30-million investment with 300 direct and indirect construction worker jobs who will spend money in and around Zionsville.
Once open, in property taxes alone, the new store represents a $750,000 increase for Zionsville. The store will employ 300 associates and will recapture approximately $20 million in sales that Zionsville and Boone County residents now spend at other central Indiana Walmart and Sam’s Clubs.
Questions have been raised in Zionsville community meetings about the future of the 86th Street store. The 86th Street store serves a different market than the proposed Zionsville store, and it will not close. We have invested more than $4 million in renovations in the past two years at this store.
There is much more I could tell you about the value Walmart will bring to our community. I invite you to visit our corporate website: www.corporate.walmart.com/our-story/ to find more information about our company, our community contributions, and our global commitment to sustainability.
We look forward to working with Zionsville leaders and residents, and contributing to the success of the Village.
David Reitnauer is a guest columnist and Zionsville resident. He currently serves as Vice-president and Regional General Manager for Walmart.