Walmart is Anchor Tenant for Glenwood Place Project

Surprise!

It's a Walmart.

The retailing giant was long rumored to be the anchor tenant for Fuqua Development LP's massive redevelopment project at 800 Glenwood Ave.

For its part, Wal-Mart Stores Inc., based in Bentonville, Ark. only said it had had discussions with Fuqua representatives, but that nothing had been finalized.

But Creative Loafing reports the South East Atlanta Business Association confirmed the world's largest retailer is to be the anchor tenant for the project, which would transform the the 20-acre site into a retail complex that would include 197,590 square feet of retail and parking for 1,201 motor vehicles.

"The contact from Walmart representatives with SEABA was some of the first public acknowledgment of the identity of the anchor tenant for the currently proposed 144,000 square foot retail store planned by Fuqua," SEABA Board Chairwoman Ashley McCartney told Creative Loafing in a statement.

"Fuqua had always declined to identify his client and SEABA's opposition to the project has never been directed solely at any particular corporation or entity. "This is not an anti-Walmart campaign," she told the newsweekly. "Our opposition is solely about the project as it is currently presented."

(You can read the full Creative Loafing article here.)

The proposed project, which is in Grant Park and still has to meet several city approvals before proceeding, has plenty of opposition from residents of that community as well as neighboring Glenwood Park and Ormewood Park, and Neighborhood Planning Unit-W.

The chief objections aren't necessarily against a redevelopment of the site.

What has had residents concerned is the scale of the project and that it doesn't conform to existing development guidelines covering the zone that includes the site.

Indeed, those development overlays are why the city's planning office twice rejected Fuqua's submitted proposals.

And Walmart isn't getting much sympathy from Decatur residents, either.

A group called Good Growth DeKalb filed a lawsuit against DeKalb County over its approval for Selig Enterprises' plans for a Walmart Supercenter in Suburban Plaza in North Decatur.

See our topics page for our full coverage on the Glenwood Avenue project: 800 Glenwood Development.

Does it matter to you that Walmart is the anchor tenant or not? Within the confines of the development guidelines that cover the site, how should the site be developed. Tell us in the comments section below.