With a repeal of San Diego’s supercenter ordinance all but certain, Walmart began a public-relations blitz Thursday to convince skeptical city leaders to approve a slew of its stores in the near future.
The world’s largest retailer said it wants to build a dozen stores in the city over the next five years as a sign of its commitment to bringing low-cost food and goods to San Diego residents. Walmart said the stores — which will come in varying sizes and formats, including an unspecified number of supercenters — would boost the region’s economy by creating 1,400 jobs.
The first step to breaking ground on those proposed stores begins Tuesday when the City Council is expected to repeal an ordinance that requires retailers, such as Walmart, to conduct an economic analysis of a supercenter’s impact as part of the city’s permitting process. Critics say it creates a de facto ban on supercenters.
The next step will be far more difficult: Convincing city officials to approve construction of Walmart stores.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: The San Diego Union-Tribune (San Diego, CA).
