Wal-Mart has extended its timeline to open stores in the District, and now does not plan to open its first store in the city until the end of 2013.
When the discount retailer first announced plans to expand into the District, in November of 2010, it announced four sites and said it planned to open stores by the end of 2012.
It was an aggressive schedule. Now, after facing some resistance from activists and opponents, those plans are delayed. Wal-Mart now says that only one of the six stores it currently plans will be open by the end of 2013. Others are components of mixed-use projects that require regulatory approval or the right set of economic circumstances to become viable.
“While construction time lines are fluid and driven mostly by the developer, we’re using the extra time to further engage with the neighborhoods that surround our stores and build even more support for Wal- Mart,” company spokesman Steven Restivo said.
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