Ocala Star-Banner (Florida)

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News

August 16, 2009 Sunday

STATE AND REGIONAL NEWS

20090816-OA-WAL-MART-DEVELOP-20090816

332 words

Silver Springs Shores Wal-Mart set for 2011 opening

Ocala Star-Banner, Fla.

Aug. 16--Wal-Mart says it will begin building the Supercenter planned for Silver Springs Shores in early 2010 and finish in early 2011.

Cindi Marsiglio, a spokeswoman for the Bentonville, Ark.-based retail giant, said both the beginning and end of construction were set for "some time in the first part" of the respective years. Marsiglio added she could provide no further details.

Plans call for a store of about 176,000 square feet to be built near the intersection of Southeast Maricamp and Midway roads.

The world's biggest retailer had originally planned to build a store with about 204,000 square feet of space but scaled back its plans late last year. The company did not provide an explanation, except to say that Wal-Mart is reviewing its projects around the country to align them with local needs and current economic conditions.

Along with a smaller store, Wal-Mart is reducing the number of parking spaces from 1,018 to 885 "to accommodate the new building square footage," says a letter to the county from Wal-Mart's engineering firm in Sanford.

Other changes made to the site last year include the scrapping of a Tire Lube Express center and a drive-thru pharmacy. In their place, the company plans to add a liquor store, the documents show.

The Silver Springs Shores Wal-Mart would be the sixth Supercenter in Marion County. There are currently stores on East Silver Springs Boulevard, Southwest 19th Avenue Road and State Road 200 in Ocala, on U.S. 441 in Summerfield, and on U.S. 41 in Dunnellon.

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August 18, 2009