Forgive those who worry, but there should be a giant exhaling sound Wednesday when Wal-Mart representatives finally break ground on a new Supercenter for Monroe.
It's been a long time coming.
A new Wal-Mart Supercenter has been discussed and planned for the greater part of this decade. After years of debate, and many months of planning in painstaking detail at the city government level, a new, larger Wal-Mart store was approved in April 2007. At the time, officials believed the Supercenter would open in spring 2008.
It's well into summer of 2008, and while big earth movers are at the site, no dirt has been officially displaced.
The wait ends at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, when a groundbreaking ceremony is planned at the Supercenter site at the intersection of County N and Youth Cabin Road in Monroe. Store management, staff and city and county officials will be on hand to celebrate the beginning of the construction process.
In between the city's approval and Wednesday's groundbreaking ceremony was a series of bureaucratic delays. There also were concerns - always refuted by Wal-Mart officials - that Monroe's project might get lost in the company's slowdown in Supercenter construction nationally.
While some in Monroe and Green County would have rejoiced in the demise of the Supercenter's plans, Wal-Mart's expansion will be a positive economic development for the city and county. It will bolster Monroe's attraction as a shopping destination, most likely bringing with it other developments on or near the Supercenter property.
Certainly, the Supercenter's presence will challenge some of the city's existing retail businesses. Hopefully, that competition will spur others to improvements that benefit both the businesses and their customers.
After months of waiting and moments of doubt, Wal-Mart's Supercenter plans for Monroe take a giant step toward becoming a reality this week. That's welcome news.
It's been a long time coming.
A new Wal-Mart Supercenter has been discussed and planned for the greater part of this decade. After years of debate, and many months of planning in painstaking detail at the city government level, a new, larger Wal-Mart store was approved in April 2007. At the time, officials believed the Supercenter would open in spring 2008.
It's well into summer of 2008, and while big earth movers are at the site, no dirt has been officially displaced.
The wait ends at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, when a groundbreaking ceremony is planned at the Supercenter site at the intersection of County N and Youth Cabin Road in Monroe. Store management, staff and city and county officials will be on hand to celebrate the beginning of the construction process.
In between the city's approval and Wednesday's groundbreaking ceremony was a series of bureaucratic delays. There also were concerns - always refuted by Wal-Mart officials - that Monroe's project might get lost in the company's slowdown in Supercenter construction nationally.
While some in Monroe and Green County would have rejoiced in the demise of the Supercenter's plans, Wal-Mart's expansion will be a positive economic development for the city and county. It will bolster Monroe's attraction as a shopping destination, most likely bringing with it other developments on or near the Supercenter property.
Certainly, the Supercenter's presence will challenge some of the city's existing retail businesses. Hopefully, that competition will spur others to improvements that benefit both the businesses and their customers.
After months of waiting and moments of doubt, Wal-Mart's Supercenter plans for Monroe take a giant step toward becoming a reality this week. That's welcome news.
