Perspective. Context. Let’s start with the observation that the conversation to have a Walmart in southeastern San Diego is in its very early stages. That said, it is true that neighborhood residents want to explore the possibility, and here's why: There are several benefits to the proposed Walmart in The Village at Market Creek that should be considered in evaluating what the project would do to the climate and character of the community it would serve. The most important of which is that the residents of the community have requested it. Just like all previous development in The Village at Market Creek, residents have had the opportunity to talk about and decide on what a "big box" store in The Village would mean. And just like all Village developments, a “big box” store would come with the agreement to maximize the positive impacts for The Village and the residents of the community through agreed upon community benefits that help make the community stronger. Jobs: • An average sized store requires 275 employees, roughly half of whom will have benefits. Full time wages average $13.10 per hour, with $8 per hour for part-time. • In the short-term an estimated 170 construction jobs would be created at an average salary of $46,000 per year. • In previous Village projects, the majority of the long-term jobs were for local residents (58% in all Village business and 73% at Market Creek Plaza). • In construction projects, like Market Creek Plaza and the Joe & Vi Jacobs Center, the goal was to award 65% of construction jobs to Historically Underutilized Business Enterprises (HUBEs) and minority-owned businesses, with preference given for those in the 4th City Council District. Economic Impacts: • The bottom line is that the millions of dollars in sales that take place in a big box store reap significant community benefits, while a blighted piece of vacant land brings nothing positive to the community. • Initial projections show that an increase in sales taxes of more than $400,000 and property taxes of $200,000 would significantly grow the tax base of the area to support better, stronger infrastructure such as streets, libraries, law enforcement, etc. • Local minority-owned businesses could be vendors to the new store, greatly expanding access to their target audiences. • Additionally, the store itself could provide philanthropic support to local organizations and programs and provide access to foot traffic for neighborhood organizations and other non-profits. Community Character: • In addition to design specifications that meet The Village's LEED ND requirements, the proposed development guided by the residents of the community and JCNI would have to have an architecture that blends organically into the culturally-distinct design of The Village, which reflects the rich cultural diversity of the southeastern San Diego community. • The development could also include space for park and recreational facilities, pedestrian and bicycle friendly walkways, and mixed use spaces that could benefit local businesses who would see an increase in foot traffic based on proximity to the Walmart. No one knows better than the community itself what it needs and who best to provide it. We look forward to what could indeed become a new standard for meaningfully integrating a big box-type store into a community, so the community itself experiences the greatest benefit.

When I first heard about the idea of the Jacobs Center entertaining the thought of letting Target or Walmart locate on their property, I was appalled. A big box just didn't seem to fit, so I actually went to a public meeting they had on the issue to see it firsthand. There were a few hundred people there and a couple news stations. I expected to see the community up in arms against having a big box move into their neighborhood. To my disappointment, it just didn't happen. People were concerned about traffic and making sure the jobs would go to people in the neighborhood, but that happens with almost any large development. The most eye-opening thing for me was when one of the presenters asked how many people shopped at Walmart. Almost the entire room raised their hand. Sure, the argument can be made that these people have to shop there because companies like Walmart have caused the loss of all the decent manufacturing jobs on the race to the bottom with those lower prices. I don't disagree with that at all, but it's something to consider that all those people are currently getting into cars and leaving their neighborhood to shop at Walmart. The most common thing said at the community meeting was that people in the neighborhood need jobs. At this point even minimum wage jobs with no benefits, working for a heartless beast like Walmart is better than nothing.

In the nomination above Target and Costco were mentioned as alternatives. Besides having a better PR department, less stores and a way better sense of design, Target is just as bad. The red guys pay minimum wage, treat their employees like crap and buy everything from China too. Let's also not forget that Target donated $150K to an anti-gay candidate for Minnesota Governor in 2010. It's also unlikely Costco would locate on that site since there is an existing store on the same street less than two miles away. Parks are definitely needed in that area, but that would create relatively no jobs and the City can't even afford to maintain the parks they have now. So what's left? Do you think Whole Foods or Trader Joe's are going to locate their next stores in southeastern San Diego? I'm sure Jacobs and the people in that area would gladly accept a store offering living wage jobs that sells products made in the USA. The sad reality is that store doesn't exist and investment in that part of town has been hard to come by for decades.

I'm anti-Walmart and I agree with all the criticism made above. I also don't shop there, which I've found not to be the case with many of the people who are opposed to having a big box move into their city. Many say they're anti-Walmart, but it turns out they buy their pet food or what not there because it's cheaper and that's part of the issue. Walmart wouldn't be the beast it is today if people weren't shopping there. Personally, it feels nice to be able to cast my dollar vote against Walmart and the homogenization that comes with the price-dominant culture that is turning the world into one big strip mall full of chain stores. Fortunately, I can do this because I can afford to shop at places like Whole Foods (Whole Paycheck) and independent shops where they actually sell things made in the USA (which aren't easy to find by the way). Not everyone chooses to this, or can afford that luxury. I'd also like to point out that most of these little independent shops that we love so much probably aren't paying a living wage and certainly don't offer health benefits.

This could be an opportunity for Walmart to work with an organization like Jacobs and the residents in that area to build a infill concept that actually benefits the neighborhood and doesn't just plop a big white box surrounded by a sea of asphalt that just syphons money out of the neighborhood and sends it back to China factories and Bentonville shareholders. At the very least, let's hope they'll be able to negotiate a community benefits agreement and make Walmart build a multi-level box (which is what they said they would be building in their presentation).

The thing I realized is that if the residents in that area aren't pissed that Walmart is moving in their neighborhood, why should I be? I still won't shop there and I'll take every opportunity I have to point out what an awful company they are. It's hard to get off my high horse and accept the fact that people would want a store like that in their neighborhood, but that decision should be left to people who actually live there and it seems like Jacobs is taking that same approach.

Wal-Mart has almost single-handedly destroyed the fabric of this country. They are driving out small businesses, destroying the environment, marginalizing their own workers, and almost all of their products are made in sweatshops overseas (mostly by children). With each one of these stores, they are essentially destoying the principles that this country (and ironically the patriarch of their store, Sam Walton) were founded upon. Big, Fat stinking Onion for this one!