* Wal-Mart Makes a Move in Durham
Tuesday, December 14th, 2010Triangle Business Journal reported today that Wal-Mart is about to resume expanding its local presence. While Wal-Mart did not build a new store locally in 2010, plans have been announced for three stores — two in Raleigh, and one in Durham.
The Durham location announced is at the intersection of S. Roxboro Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. That store will be about 109,000 square feet and will have just about everything, including extended grocery selections, a deli section, a meats department and a pharmacy. The only departments missing will be an outdoor center and a tire/lube shop.
With the new store set to open in fall 2011, and the existing Kroger shopping center, the S. Roxboro/MLK intersection is set to be one of the most heavily traveled in south Durham. Add to that the elementary school planned for that intersection [currently scheduled for 2017] and you could have the makings of a real traffic mess.
Another question left unanswered is what will happen to the rumored plans to build a Wal-Mart in the Kentington Heights area just south of Southpoint. While it is certainly possible Wal-Mart could build both, having three stores within 4 miles of each other is probably a bit much even for Wal-Mart. We will certainly see how this develops in the coming months.
[Thanks to Bull City Rising for the initial notice]
Recently, I was working with someone moving to the Triangle who asked me “How would you describe the three cities of the Triangle? And why do you prefer Durham to Chapel Hill and Raleigh?” It’s a good question, as each city has a different personality and character. Here is what I told her.
Durham is the happy medium of those two extremes. It has a college town area, just like Chapel Hill (except with a darker shade of blue). It has many of the features of a small town, such as a vibrant Farmers Market and strong annual city-wide festivals. Plus, it have many of the features of a larger city, including a first class performing arts center and a professional sports team.
October in the Triangle means many things — temperatures start to come down, leaves start to turn and Christmas decorations start to come out in local stores. October also means it’s time for the Parkwood Volunteer Fire Department Barbeque. The 31st Annual Barbeque will be this Saturday, October 9 from noon until 7PM. After 30 years of practice, the firemen have this down to a science with good BBQ and speedy service. Plates are $7 each [$4 for children] and can either be eaten at the station or taken elsewhere. If you do stay at the station, several pieces of fire and rescue equipment will be available for display and touring.
