ATLANTA — After months of speculation, Walmart announced plans Monday night for two of its Metro Atlanta locations.
Walmart released a statement, saying that after reviewing all factors, it would reopen its Vine City location and permanently close its Howell Mill Road store.
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“Following a thorough review of all factors related to our Vine City and Howell Mill Road locations, we have made the decision to reopen our Vine City location as a Walmart Neighborhood Market and to permanently close our Howell Mill Road location. Unfortunately, both stores experienced a number of economic headwinds prior to their closure due to arson,” Walmart said.
The Walmart on Howell Mill was set on fire in December. Firefighters said someone deliberately started a fire in the men’s clothing department. The store was then temporarily closed. But on Monday, Walmart said they had decided to permanently close their Howell Mill store.
The Vine City Walmart was also set on fire in December, just days after the Howell Mill fire that led to the store’s temporary closure.
Neighborhood residents shopping in Vine City on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive expressed concern about the possible long-term closure of their store.
“The loss of this store will be a great loss to the community,” said Atlanta City Councilman Byron Amos.
The store opened in January 2013. Before it opened, area residents said they would drive miles to shop for their families.
Residents feared closing the store would impact jobs, access to food, community and opportunity, but now they need not worry as Walmart has announced its decision to reopen the store.
Vine City Civic Association Chairman John H. Lewis said Channel 2 Action News that this was the news they had hoped for.
“This is the news we were hoping for — the thousands of residents who have been customers of Wal-Mart, including the elderly long-term residents and students who have relied on this Wal-Mart for their groceries and medicines — and people who needed somewhere within walking distance – I’m happy for them. Otherwise, we would have created another food desert in our city,” Lewis said. “I’m grateful for the team that worked together to make this possible, from Mayor and our councilman Byron Amos and other community leaders, to the hundreds of residents here in the historic Westside neighborhoods who worked together to make this a reality .”
Walmart said in its statement that the Howell Mill location does not have the ability to be repurposed like Vine City has.
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“Unlike Vine City, Walmart does not have the option to repurpose the Howell Mill Road location due to location constraints. We will work with Mayor Dickens and his office to find a new use or business for the site,” Walmart said.
Walmart thanked the mayor and city council for their help in reopening the Vine City Walmart.
“Thanks to Mayor Andre Dickens and Councilman Byron Amos, we will reopen the Vine City store as a Walmart neighborhood store to serve the community’s grocery and pharmacy needs. That’s what we’re going to focus on going forward,” Walmart said.
Mayor Andre Dickens released a statement following the announcement:
“Food and nutrition security for families in Atlanta is a moral right for our communities. The intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Joseph E. Lowery Blvd is a multi-community hub in Northwest and Southwest Atlanta serving seniors, children, college students and thousands of individuals and households who already lack accessible fresh, affordable grocery options.
Me and my team hired Walmart directly to ensure this store reopened. Thank you to Councilor Byron Amos, my Chief of Staff Odie Donald II, and everyone involved in ensuring Vine City and the surrounding community have the added layer of food security they deserve as we continue to build a more resilient and sustainable Atlanta.
The City will continue our work with Walmart and community stakeholders regarding the appropriate use of the Howell Mill premises and job placement for the affected employees.
We continue the city’s goal of ensuring that all residents have fresh, affordable groceries within a half-mile of their homes.”
– Statement by Mayor Andre Dickens
Atlanta City Council Member Byron Amos also released a statement on the reopening of the Vine City Walmart:
“Having worked with Walmart’s corporate leadership, I can announce that the Walmart store in Vine City will remain open. The current configuration of the superstore concept occupying the space will be transformed into the convenience store concept. The time frame for the completion of the conversion has not yet been determined. For weeks, the community has been standing together in lockstep to make the entire MLK corridor safer and more accessible. With this endorsement, we can continue the years of dedication and hard work to further realize this goal.”
– Statement by Atlanta City Council Member Byron Amos
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