Russ Steele
WalMart is coming to Auburn. The story is in The Union this morning here.
An Auburn firm announced this week it has sold land in North Auburn to retail giant Wal-Mart to build a 155,000-square-foot store.
Bohemia Properties announced it sold an 18.5-acre property near the corner of Luther Road and Highway 49 for $10 million to the retailer earlier this year. It was speculated Wal-Mart and grocery chain Costco were in the running to purchase the land.
Wal-Mart's move into North Auburn could have some impact on retail in Grass Valley said Jason Gallelli, an executive vice president with Voit Real Estate Services, a retail real estate firm in Roseville.
“You have a very successful Kmart, and you have a very successful JCPenney in Grass Valley,” Gallelli said. “You'd have to anticipate a slight hit to those two with a Wal-Mart in North Auburn, but I don't think it would be significant enough to alter whether they stay open or closed.”
I would have preferred a Cosco, but it was going to be one of the other. The Auburn demographics are right and Placer County is a pro-business County, while Nevada County has made it clear for years that "big box stores" are not welcome. There is a very successful Target in North Auburn, in-part because many Nevada County residence shop there. We often stop on our way back from visits to grand-kids in Roseville.
In a Mississippi study of WalMart store's economic impact on non-host counties they found a significant economic out flow to the host counties. One caution many counties are more rural than Nevada County.
The study had has some advice for local no-growth governments in non-host counties, like Nevada County.
A local government that aggressively promotes commercial development, especially one that offers tax or other financial incentives to new comers, may unwittingly help put smaller local merchants out of business because of massive competition. Conversely, a local government that is strictly anti-growth may also do harm to its local merchants as residents leave the community to shop in other towns with big new stores. It is therefore recommended that local officials educate the public on the economic impacts of commercial development and strive to create an economic development policy that is consistent with the values and concerns of the local citizens.
It should be noted that most citizens shop their wallet rather than feel good slogans.
Exit Question: Will you be shopping in the North Auburn WalMart.
