The North Coast Journal is confirming in this week’s edition that the new mystery tenant in the old Gottschalks building in the Bayshore Mall is indeed the largest grocery-apparel-pharmacy retailer in the world.
“What Wal-Mart was denied in 1999 — a foothold in Humboldt County, where land for big box retailers is surprisingly scarce — becomes a reality in the spring of 2012.”
This week’s Journal is on newsstands now. The full story will be online by noon Thursday.
UPDATE: A press release was released by Wal-Mart after the Journal’s story hit newsstands:
Walmart to Bring Store to Eureka
Store Will be Located at Former Gottschalks at Bayshore Mall
EUREKA, Calif. (Dec. 14, 2011) – Today, Walmart announced its plans to remodel and renovate the vacant, former Gottschalks store located within the Bayshore Mall. The store will provide customers a convenient one-stop shopping experience for families and bring opportunities for about 200 new jobs and additional tax revenue to support the area’s local economy.
Walmart received approvals earlier this month to remodel the existing building at the northwest corner of Broadway and Truesdale street. Modest in size, Walmart’s plans include adding a pharmacy, a new vestibule, interior wall finishes, shelving and signage as well as refrigeration cases within the approximate 73,000 square foot building. Construction recently began with demolition and site preparation and is expected to continue for approximately 12 to 15 months. The site is zoned for retail use.
“Walmart stores offer a quick and convenient shopping experience for customers who need household basics, prescriptions and general merchandise all at our everyday low prices,” said Debbie Rood, Walmart regional general manager for its stores in northern California. “We are excited to bring this store closer to our customers and to join the Eureka business community as well as supporting local non-profits through our ongoing charitable giving.”
Designed as a convenient family shopping center, customers will find merchandise for their everyday household needs, along with electronics, health and beauty, sporting goods, toys and apparel at the Eureka Walmart.
The Eureka Walmart, like all new Walmart stores, includes energy-efficient technology and environmentally friendly features to reduce energy and water consumption and minimize waste. Features include LED lighting used in exterior signage and refrigeration cases, a energy management system for adjusting energy usage and one of the industry’s most efficient heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) units available. The construction and demolition program will capture and recycle the widest possible range of materials recovery options.
Walmart opened its first store in California in 1991 and currently employs more than 73,000 associates across the state. As of October 2011, the average, wage for regular, full-time hourly associates in California was $12.69 per hour (Walmart stores). In 2011, Walmart spent more than $21.9 billion for merchandise and services with 3,581 suppliers in the state of California.*
Further, in FY 2011 in California, Walmart stores, Sam’s Club and the Walmart Foundation awarded more than $29.1 million in cash and in-kind donations to local organizations in the communities they serve. Through additional funds donated by customers and by Walmart associates throughout the state, the retailer’s contributions in California totaled more than $32.5 million.
*Supplier figures provided by Dunn & Bradstreet.
This article appears in Mainstay Unraveled.
Yeah!
not at all excited by this news……
I hope somebody burns it to the ground.
This is great for two reasons: First, it pisses off the liberals who think just because they don’t want it no one should have it, and second, it gives all the toothless bush-okies something to do and keeps them somewhere I don’t have to look at them or deal with them.
Arkley wins…
Arkley wins? How does he have anything to do with this? He doesn’t even have any ownership interest in the building. Either way, I am so glad they decided to back door Humboldt County! Now what bitches!
Why did they have to hide? Why all the mystery? Are they ashamed of who they are?
Good way to open to the community.
SWEETNESS!! There will no wbe a eureka addition
http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/
SWEETNESS!! There will now be a eureka addition!
http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/
If you don’t like it don’t shop there. I know I won’t be. There are also local business I don’t care for and I don’t shop there either.
Oh well. We held them off for 13 years. Not too shabby I guess.
We’ll be looking to your report, NCJ staff.
The news about Walmart coming to town was in last week’s Humboldt Sentinel… give it a gander and be surprised here http://humboldtsentinel.com/2011/12/09/weekly-roundup-for-december-9-2011/ or here:
http://humboldtsentinel.com/2011/12/09/weekly-roundup-for-december-9-2011/
Always low prices– always…Save Money, Live Better?
Walmart tries to sue Costco for accusations that they attempted to start a riot with the homeless on the future Walmart property.
Skippy,
The Sentinel report was essentially a rewrite of our August report. But thanks for reading.
More jobs to Humboldt County…something we desperately need! Oh and affordable shopping for those in need of it.
anyone excited by the WalMart coming to Eureka should watch “The High Cost of Low Prices” movie. Jobs? Not at a living wage, and the Chinese junk for sale will help China and suck even more money out of our local community. There really is a reason WalMart has gotten so much negative attention across the Country. Once you’re educated about them, I’m betting you’ll vote with your dollars and go elsewhere.
Awsome! Tired of this local high price shopping now we just need to get more big bussiness to move on in.
I hear a Best Buy is moving in to the mall to. It’s about time we grow.
I love how some people define growth
Well done Josh
I’m hoping that questions about what will happen to existing mall tenants will be answered in the story. I’m also hoping that an opening date will be given.
No good can come of this. Everything about wallmart is bad, the way they treat the community, the way they treat their employees, the cheap chinese crap that breaks in two minutes, has to be shipped internationally, slowly destroys our local and national economy, disassembles small businesses and owners who are trying to do good for their community and create something locally made and countless other reasons. And humboldt county doesn’t need jobs, it needs employable people!!! I have been desperate to hire someone for weeks and not a single person has applied!!!!!!
Local Business Owner,
I’m sure the people that get hired will think something good has come of this.
And I’m not convinced most small business owners are “trying to do good for their community” They are just trying to outdo their competition, make a buck, and feed their kids like everybody else. And yes I have owned a small business for most of my life and know quite a few other owners.
Good, I definitely WILL be shopping there. I have taken every opportunity to shop there when I travel, now I’ll take advantage of it here too!
To those of you who are not happy about it, DON’T SHOP THERE! There will be many more of us that do. In fact, I know some small business owners that buy their supplies at WalMart because its cheaper than many wholesale prices.
I along with MANY other people I know will be looking forward to it.
Have a Nice Day 🙂
“Everything about wallmart is bad…”
Truer words have never been said. And a picture is worth a thousand words.
Let’s suburbanize the Redwoods! If you would like the convenience of thousands of shops to choose from( like you can’t do that online already), move closer to a bigger existing city. Walmart is never accountable to communities and never pays its fair share of local taxes. How much is Eureka forking over to “lure” walmart here. Also, the mall is NOT locally owned, so the rent money walmart pays – also leaves the area. This is not growth. This is the strip-mall-ization of small town America
Sounds like a lose-lost situation to me.
Can any Walmart haters give one single example of one business that will be harmed by Walmart coming to the mall?
Travel up to Crescent City Rex, take alook around. It’s thriving, all thanks to their big box neighbors!
Why can’t I find this press release online. Please link to an original, non-Humboldt County related website. It shames me to see this without some sort of outside link. Shame on you Mr. Goff.
Comment / By Judy H. / Today, 1:36 p.m.
“Skippy, The Sentinel report was essentially a rewrite of our August report. But thanks for reading.”
I just read your August report, Judy, and I thinks it’s pretty fucking sleazy of you to accuse Skippy of plagerizing your story. Arrogant as well; Hell, how many different ways do you write “Walmart is coming”?
If you really think you have something here, sue; otherwise why don’t you just lay off the grape and drink a big can of shut the fuck up instead.
There will be thousands of Humboldt County hypocrites shopping at Wal-Mart every month searching for more choices and LOW prices!!
Quark: We wrote in August what we could document at the time. This is a follow-up report. You be the judge. Uh … after you read it.
Uhhhh, Judy, I DID read the August article, and the article in the Sentinal was much more than a rewrite.
In fact, I searched your online archives and browsed through the last several months, reading anything Walmart related.
You owe an apology and a retraction – hopefully on the front page of next week’s NCJ – to Charles Douglas, Skippy Massay, and hte Humboldt Sentinal.
There is a very informative documentary called The High Cost Of Low Prices,,,I believe that you can watch it on Youtube. I watched it and it really opened up my mind to how Walmart really operates,,,,Not good at all. A must watch I feel.
I’ve only just tuned into this on-line scuffle over our mutual Walmart coverage, having just returned from a marathon Eureka School Board meeting– I didn’t see the Journal there, of course I haven’t seen them there all year, but that’s another story!
I’ve reviewed the Journal article in question, and I’ve re-looked at Skippy’s write-up, and I didn’t see any basis for the accusations hinted at here.
I certainly don’t want any anonymous comment makers calling Judy Hodgson ‘sleazy’ or any other names on behalf of the Sentinel.
With that said, it wouldn’t be the first time that the Journal made an unfounded attack against my character and failing to even contact me for a response. They have the chance this time, but so far, no calls from Judy. I’ll be waiting.
Interesting, too, that there has been no coverage of the Lowe’s coming in to the other end of the mall in the space where the theater, hometown buffet, and everything between used to be.
I think local businesses with quality merchandise and thoughtful and competent service will do just fine.
I do, though, fondly anticipate the “people of walmart” photo additions soon to grace the website.
Charles, I don’t see your character mentioned anywhere here. Or you, for that matter. At least not by us. Skippy (who’s probably the most gracious and friendly contributer to local online dialog) did a lot of research on Wal-Mart’s sneaky business practices. Judy got confirmation that the company is coming here.
My suggestion: Let’s disappoint the trolls and be friends.
“Skippy, The Sentinel report was essentially a rewrite of our August report. But thanks for reading” – Judy
Judy, I call bullshit on your lack of intellectual integrity and honesty. Charles SCOOPED you! ONE man with a camera, and a laptop SCOOPED a so called news agency with a good sized budget and plenty of writers, and financial backers!! Judy, go eat your crow and then make the apology. Please try to show some sembleance of integrity.
Nick Bravo should know a lot about “lack of intellectual integrity and honesty.”
“lack of intellectual integrity and honesty” htttp://www.northcoastjournal.com/090105/cover0901.html
Sorry, Nick, though you’re annoying, hatred is a bit much. And, perhaps cruelly, I don’t feel sorry for you either.
I do not like ilk, not one bit.
Do ilk drink milk? Or dress in silk?
No, ilk eat elk, and kill the greatness of the human spirit.
(Still working on that last part.)
Nothing good can come from this…. I am disappointed I just moved back from an area with box stores, trust me if you give in to this company it will kill what we love about this community! Let’s have the first walmart to close let’s show em there not welcomed…. I love you humboldt
well, as if our economy was not already hurting, this news is rather bleak. it is ironic that the people who benefit most from the low prices are the most economically hurt by this business as this business relies on social welfare systems to support their employees. this company has a history of racist and sexist management styles. i sincerely hope this store does not open in humboldt. what horrible news.
oh, and this article seems to be rather short and one-sided. it is largely a commercial for wal mart. i expect more from our local journalists! i read it and still do not believe it. next time, please write with more journalistic zest please. please be a journalist akin to 60 minutes of the 1970’s… (no that corporate news has anything on small news organizations), i just want more balanced coverage of such big news.
perhaps there will be a front page story about this in the NCJ soon that delves into the various aspects of what wal mart has done in other cities/communities, what has happened here in Humboldt in regard to wal mart (in the last decade or so), and what wal mart might mean to the local economy/community. after reading the article, one might think that the coming of wal mart to the mall is a good thing. i cannot think of one good result of this (with the big picture in my mind).
Jay, go here.
I hope the homeless make a habit of pooping and peeing all over the mall.
They mostly operate sweatshops in Saipan, China and Nicaragua that manufacture most of the clothes sold in their stores. People in the stores work for ten hours a day and seven days a week and are paid as low as twelve cents. They are unable to complain at all. The children are often strip searched for food or water being brought in to prevent them from soiling the clothes from the food and water. They are often hungry and dehydrated and are forced to work overtime without pay; it is considered as volunteer pay. Also, affiliated is Kathy Lee Gifford, where she owns her own sweatshop in Honduras selling her line of clothing to Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart has been fined about $200,000 for violating 1,436 child labor laws by the Maine Department of Labor, when it was discovered that Wal-Mart employed under-aged children and making them work at least ten days in a row. They had been warned several times, but they persisted. This fine was the largest fine that the state ever levied.
For once, I will happily take Ryan Burns’ advice and not feed into a fight that neither of us are interested in.
Skippy’s piece stands as its own work, just as the work of the Journal does. Anyone interested in the Sentinel‘s latest take on the story is welcome to go here to do so.
Let’s have cooler heads prevail.
Certainly the North Coast Journal article was very helpful and that’s why I felt it important to specifically note and link it as a source to the Sentinel article. In addition, other research sources came from the Times-Standard, Lost Coast Outpost, the Humboldt Herald, Sprawl-Busters, reader’s comments, and other areas from the past 6 months. Another 9-10 sources were also reviewed and taken into consideration for a grounded assessment. It was a lengthy process, and, I hope, a fair and informed read.
I also hope readers will compare the Sentinel article to the NCJ, making up their own minds as to which was informative, original, and most decisive in its conclusion for themselves. I would proffer: both of them, complementarily placed together.
There have been some unnecessarily inflammatory and unkind comments regarding the issue made. Mr. Burns, however, thoughtfully summed it up this way: “Skippy (who’s probably the most gracious and friendly contributor to local online dialog) did a lot of research on Wal-Mart’s sneaky business practices. Judy got confirmation that the company is coming here. My suggestion: Let’s disappoint the trolls and be friends.”
Thank you, Mr. Burns. Well said. Those are my thoughts, too. A fine publication, the NCJ is one of the last vestiges of local investigative reporting that we have. We should have more– and I’d wish that in this regard our strength would be in our partnership. With everyone. Media, blogs, sources, and readers and with insightful comments.
Cooler heads? A reputation of poo and pee surrounding walmart will prevail where years of civil activity has now failed. We’ve been ripped off, plain and simple.
Rednecks, rejoice!
Can I get a… hell yeah!
It’s my understanding that Wal-Mart has SPAM filters (for a good price). If Wal-Mart wants to put a weekly flier in the NCJ, will Judy turn it down?
@##$% WALMART Eureka businesses had better invest in plywood to shutter all the places that will close down for good over the next few years. Walmart will do nothing positive for Eureka or the entire county. Denial and ignorance reign supreme. Might as well just tear down the mall and build a Walmart supercenter.
Every retail store that exists today in Eureka and the region will be and can only be negatively affected by this tragedy. 200 piss poor jobs, and some sales tax revenue. What a treat!
If you don’t want to shop at Walmart, then don’t. It wont make any difference. The damage to the community and other businesses in the area will be done no matter how you feel or what you do. The same fools that are glad that Walmart is coming to town and bag on those that oppose Walmart will be putting their foot in there mouth in 5 to 10 years when Eureka turns into the @#$%hole that they hoped for.
Yea Brian finally somebody speaks the truth. I will be one of those that doesn’t shop at walmart. I think Eureka is already turning into a @#$%hole. We do need to stimulate the local economy but not this way, if more people shopped local the better our economy would be. But instead all I hear is prices are too high I can’t afford it. So instead people spend money on gas to drive to Cresent City and buy crap!! There is a lot of money in this community but the good ole boys and girls that have it don’t spend it here. Wake up!!! Shop local and boycott Safeway and others like them that do not pay a living wage
If you think Eureka is a @#$%hole then leave…..
Another original thought from Brian.
Wow, that’s deep Joel. What next, a cartoon about Winco shoppers?
Yes. perhaps. Does that somehow make you more original, Brian?
Pull my finger…………..
Another original thought from Brian.
Another original thought from Joel. What more can one expect from a cartoonist that uses the web site http://www.peopleofwal-mart.com for their “inspiration”.
Who needs people-of-walmart when I have such rich material here in Eureka? And if the best you can do is compose bitter comments, Brian, at least try to come up with something original.
“BRIAN” and Brian Murphy are not the same Brian’s. Just wanted to make that clear. My message remains the same regarding Walmart and all the ignorance regarding the topic
OH GOD NO! Not Walmart! shops at Safeway, North America’s second largest supermarket chain
I’m so local and groovy.
Everyone should realize its not the circulation of money kept local that keeps a community growing.The only way for this community to grow and be prosperous is to produce something that brings cash flow from out of this county . You must have industry to survive as a community . The industry is weak and it’s all the people that refuse growth that keep this city stuck 20 years behind the rest of the world . So you really can’t bag on Walmart for the predicament that the city is already in. They didn’t create this homeless population . They didn’t stop industry from drilling off shores . Most local business don’t employee enough staff to sustain any population and yes I’m sure walmarts wages will be just as bad as the local store wages..Besides if your working at Walmart your probably a college kid looking for a part time job. We all know how hard it is to find a job here. My sister is a single mother of two and she is praying to get a job there for more hours because there is just not enough work here. So before the city tries to stop Walmart again they should probably think of all the revenue in taxes that walmart will bring and all the people that will have jobs and be able to barley feed their kids because of it. I said barley because it’s at least something
This is great. Now people don’t have to travel two hours away just to get to a Walmart. I dont know why some peole just don’t like Walmart especially some people In eureka. Walmart is one of my favorite store to shop at. If anyone who dont like how the service at Walmart is or just don’t like it then don’t go shop there. There might be residents in eureka who don’t wanna go two hours away just get to a Walmart. like me. So I u got a problem with Walmart then just go shop there.
I moved to Humboldt County at the tender age of six and have lived here on and off for my entire life. We owned a business in Arkansas very near to Sam Walton the original fouinder of Walmart and became friends with him. He was a good and fair man and the vast empire Sam created. Before you judge Walmart why not give it a chance on a personal level. Is it true that Humboldt County is a safe haven for people who choose to ask people for money and live on the streets? I don’t know what their story is because I
don’t get into wild verbal bickerings over what their individual stories are so why don’t you give Walmart a chance. I
personally like Walmart so I will shop there. After all you have a right not to support them if that is your choice. I will still shop l;ocal if they have what I want at a price I can afford.
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