People of Austin What do you really think about Walmart at Northcross mall?

Question

Do you really care, or are you just tired of hearing about it.

Answer 1

I think these protester of Walmart at Northcross mall need to just go back to their own neighborhoods and let us worry about our own problems. There is always going to be traffic Issue in this area.

Answer 2

I guess I would belong to the "sick of it" category.  Here are the facts…

City approved it.

Companies paid for it.

It’s going to happen.

The organization for “responsible” growth really appears to be nothing of the sort.  Their intention is to tie up tax dollars trying to fight a lost cause.  The only valid argument I’ve heard so far is that of traffic congestion and it will be bad there until there are changes made to improve it.  It really doesn’t matter what they put there though because if it’s popular it will cause traffic.  Wal-Mart has made several concessions to this group, basically completely changing successful parts of its business model, all from the goodness of its own heart.  Nothing is forcing them to do this.  If they put a standard edition store there people would come anyway.  Instead they’re restricting business hours and changing the floor plan completely because of the ill will from a few residents.  MANY residents, and they do exist, are happy to have it there.  

A wise man once told me there are only four people that like Wal-Mart, the customer, the employee, the investor, and the local taxing authority.  I guess it’s everyone else whose voice really counts.

Answer 3

Granted that mall has been dead for a long time and is in need of revitalization, but I just don't think Wal-Mart is going to be a good addition.  Traffic on Anderson lane is bad enough already, I don't think adding a 200,000+sqft (the largest ever in Travis County) 24-hr retail store in the middle of a residential area is responsible growth (that goes for any store, not just wal-mart, although wal-mart is particularly deplorable for their labor practices alone).  I think it's a huge embarrassment on the City of Austin's part to have let that site plan slide by.  Honestly, I'm just glad I don't live in that area, because I would never shop there and I would just have to deal with the traffic it brings in from all over the city.