Construction on the latest area store for the world's largest retailer is finally underway in Orange County. It has taken four years and lots of friction to finalize plans for a new Walmart.
Now neighbors along Route 3 are bracing for a change. Walmart will bring around 300 jobs, and major tax revenue to the county.
"The economic impact is huge," Orange County Board of Supervisors chairman Stephen "Teel" Goodwin said just following Tuesday morning's groundbreaking.
"It's just a really exciting time for Orange County," added Orange County Economic Development Director Karen Epps.
But those who worry for small businesses in the county aren't completely sold on the change.
"I've seen it really change, so I think it will change a lot more," neighbor Harper Robinson said. "And not for the better."
Robinson has lived in a nearby neighborhood, Lake of the Woods, since the mid-1980s. She's seen the effect of other development on the area, and has concerns about the future of small businesses in the area.
"I have concerns about local businesses, particularly maybe the hardware store," she said.
It's a concern Lake of the Woods True Value Hardware owner Paul Curtis shares, at least in part. "It will be a negative impact on us," he said. "Usually you see, you know, a 10 to 20 percent loss in sales."
But the store has been doing what it can to curb Walmart's pending effects. In just the past few years, the store has done significant renovation, increased its service offerings, and invested in the knowledge base of its staff.
"We're just doing things we know we can be strong in," Curtis said. "You come here, as soon as you walk through the door you're going to be recognized and you're going to be helped."
Supervisors call the addition of Walmart an important "magnet" for the Route 3 corridor. They say it will help increase consumer traffic, and hopefully result in an increase in business activity in the area. Orange County's first Walmart is expected to open around this time next year.
