Next time you’re having an event and need a larger turnout, call your local Wal-Mart. They now specialize in event turnout. In their efforts to build a store in the old Southgate mall (see June 9th entry below), Wal-Mart hired the lobbying firm of Broydrick & Associates, a firm which has offices in Wisconsin and Washington, D.C. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Wal-Mart hired Broydrick to help mobilize Wal-Mart supporters, and the lobbying firm rented a bus to transport people to a hearing of the Milwaukee Common Council’s Zoning Committee. Just one week ago the Milwaukee Plan Commission voted unanimously against Wal-Mart. But on June 15th, the Zoning Committee reversed that vote by 3-2 in favor of Wal-Mart. At the Plan Commission vote, residents expressed their concerns about crime at Wal-Mart. But at the Zoning hearing, the Mayor of neighboring Franklin showed up, and claimed that the Wal-Mart in his community did not have a crime problem. The vote in favor of Wal-Mart was for a 135,000 s.f. store. One of the Alderman who voted for Wal-Mart, said he was “dead set” against any Wal-Mart plans to expand their current proposal to make it into a larger superstore. Another Alderman who voted against Wal-Mart said the location was alright, but Wal-Mart should try to reflect urban design principles, place their store at the street’s edge with parking in the rear, and divide their parking lot into landscaped sections.
One person who spoke in favor of Wal-Mart moving into the dead mall said that “the adrenaline has to be shot into this heart”. Opponents said the store was just too big for the neighborhood and would create traffic problem. The shot in the heart could end up being a shot to the head instead.
