The residents of Chandler, Arizona have gotten used to Wal-Mart’s on-and-off attitude. In the past two years, Wal-Mart has pulled out of two Chandler projects, after a developer has spent months working on the project. The latest withdrawal comes from the so-called “Riggs Gateway” project, which Newsflash reported on December 15, 2004. This week Wal-Mart told The Arizona Republic, “We’re not going to move forward to build a store at that particular location. We are reassessing our options to determine what is in the best interests of our customers.” The newspaper described Chandler as a city “beleaguered by announcements of Wal-Mart sites, objections from neighbors, and flurries of public relations campaigns.” Chandler certainly does not need more Wal-Marts. There are two already approved or under construction, and a third already open. This week’s announcement makes two locations that Wal-Mart has ditched, and last year they pulled out of a project as well. In each case, local residents fought doggedly to stop the stores. The Riggs Gateway project was offered by a developer called Diversified Partners. It now looks as though they have lost their partner, much to the delight of area residents.
For earlier stories on this community, search Newsflash by “Chandler”, and go to www.riggsgateway.com to see the citizen’s perspective on this proposal.
