walmart store hours chico

Costco, WinCo and Food Maxx are among the grocery stores located close to where the proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter would be.

“Expanding into a Supercenter would be adding a discount grocer to the existing Wal-Mart,” Schlaff said. “We don't need a forth discount grocer in Chico all within a one mile radius.”

Heather Schlaff, coordinator of Chico Advocates for a Responsible Economy (C.A.R.E), has been working to prevent the expansion of Wal-Mart since 2002, when the idea first got started.

“Being a neighbor of Wal-Mart, I'm not impressed,” she said. “Their business practices and their neighborhood practices are just not good for our community.”

Widlund has also had trouble with people residing in the Wal-Mart parking lot and has worked for years to try and get campers removed. The Supercenter may cause even more visitors, which could increase the amount of people staying in that area.

“Traffic on this side of town is already bad enough and I think the expansion would make it at least twice as worse,” Widlund said. “I live right across the street from Wal-Mart so that's a real issue for me getting in and out of here all the time.”

Nina Widlund lives in a neighboring home and is concerned about how a Supercenter may effect nearby residents.

For some this seems like a great plan considering that the unemployment rate in Butte County is above 12 percent and the local economy is sinking, but many still disagree.

“We believe people should have the freedom to shop where they want,” Marinello said. “Having low-cost options gives them some additional discretionary income to spend on other goods and services in the community.”

Supporters also state that the expansion of Wal-Mart will stimulate the local economy with increased sales tax revenue, will help new businesses grow and will create freedom for local shoppers.

Plus, the project will generate numerous short-term jobs for construction workers and local suppliers, he said.

Wal-Mart has plans to create over 150 new jobs, with an average hourly wage of $12.45 per hour and health care benefits for as low as $8 a month.

“The expansion will create a net increase in new jobs for the area, which is very important to our goals,” Marinello said.

CEPCO's primary goal is to create new jobs and wealth for the Chico community by aiding in the retention and expansion of existing businesses. They have become very involved in the expansion and are spreading their thoughts through attending hearings and sharing positive studies with locals. Marinello also wrote a letter to Mayor Schwab and Chico City Council in support of the project.

“In today's economy, where businesses in our community and throughout the country are struggling and unemployment rates have reached a staggering high, we feel compelled to support a project that will stimulate the local economy,” said Frank Marinello, chairman of the board, CEPCO.

The Chico Economic Planning Corporation (CEPCO) strongly supports the proposed expansion and is encouraging the city to advance approval of this project.

The Wal-Mart store expansion is proposed to add 97,556 square feet to the existing 125,889 square foot store to create a Supercenter. Around 60,000 square feet of the expansion would be for a grocery sales area and the rest would be for storage and general merchandise sales.

Word about the Chico Wal-Mart Supercenter has spread throughout the town for over five years, but on July 16 the city's planning commission and city council will once again consider whether or not to expand the Wal-Mart that has been part of Chico for the last 15 years.

Serving Butte, Shasta, Tehama, and Glenn counties

Wal-Mart Proposes to Expand Chico Store - Upstate Business Journal | Upstate Business Journal