'Big-Box' Coming to Ellisville?
Wal-Mart may follow McDonald's lead in the search for a new home.
Photos
Ellisville City Council members recently approved the construction of a McDonald's fast food restaurant, and now might face negotiations with what arguably is America's most controversial retailer.
The board approved plans earlier this month for the McDonald's, which would be located on the northwest corner of Manchester and Clarkson Roads, at the former site of a Shell gas station.
Now, the council must evaluate whether the potential sales revenue generated by a second Walmart in the area can justify likely objections, which in recent years, have almost become a recitative of American small-business owners.
The Ellisville proposal was delivered late September by Jim Sansone of the Sansone Group, who is asking for 17 acres along Manchester and Kiefer Creek roads, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Sansone said a Walmart in Ellisville would help push traffic into neighboring businesses and attract more residents as well as developers.
Sansone is likely to face ardent opposition from independent business owners, who have a track record for butting heads with the multi-billion dollar company; in a 2004 documentary titled, "Is Wal-Mart Good for America?," PBS recounts dozens of stories from the owners of "mom and pop" businesses around the U.S., virtually all of which suffered when the megastore opened.
The Post-Dispatch reports that Sansone said he's already acquired half the necessary property and is negotiating for the rest. Wal-Mart has not committed to the deal if in fact the permit is granted.
The proposal is likely to come up in discussions over the next six weeks as the council prepares the city's 2011 budget, which takes effect in January. The city council will discuss the budget publicly, including possible layoffs and reductions in service, over a series of town hall meetings.
The next town hall is at 7 p.m. tonight, Thursday, at the Parks Administration Building located in Bluebird Park at 225 Kiefer Creek Road in Ellisville.
Stacey Obrien
12:18 pm on Thursday, November 11, 2010
This would take my home away from me. I would not be able to find an affordable apartment to live in, at a great location. Do you realize how many people live in the Clarkchester apartments that you would be putting out on the street. This would cost everyone living here more money to move, and some are handicap, on fixed income, not working. There are 5 Super center Walmart's with in 20 mins or less near Ellisville, which are Eureka, Kirkwood, Manchester, Chesterfield, Fenton. So why do you have to build another one in Ellisville?
Kayle
5:46 pm on Thursday, February 17, 2011
I strongly agree with their being a Walmart built right down the street. Not only will all the Ellisville residents go there, but most likely most the Ballwin and Wildwood residents too. If you look and pin point all of the nearby Walmart Super centers, there will be a big missing hole in the middle. Because of this missing Walmart, Ellisville residents have to travel over 4 miles to the nearest one. Building a Walmart will be a giant step closer to the top for Ellisville. Plus, it will help many unemployed people find jobs.
pete
3:52 pm on Sunday, February 20, 2011
Bring it on. This will improve the Clarkson/ Manchester corner considerably. I don't like looking at closed stores and vacant lots. This store will pull people from as far as Washington, St. Albans, Eureka, wildwood and points in between. This will be a destination shop for all which will bring people to manchester road who normally don't shop these stores. Can't come soon enough..
Elmer Fudd
1:06 pm on Thursday, June 9, 2011
"Now, the council must evaluate whether the potential sales revenue generated by a second Walmart in the area".
Where is the *first* Walmart in the area?
Does this refer to the one in Des Peres? Or the one in Chesterfield Valley? Neither are even remotely close to Ellisville especially given the traffic nightmares on Manchester Road or Clarkson.
When someone asks me where I live I say "Hellisville".
I welcome a Walmart here as they carry a lot of stuff at very reasonable prices. I didn't choose to live here, my parent's did. Driving around Ellisville is worse than the Long Island Expressway and there isn't even a decent restaurant in this tiny outpost. We have the best, most hi-tech traffic-ticket cameras though!
Michele Lesinski
2:49 pm on Thursday, November 3, 2011
I am all for a Wal-Mart here in Ellisville. I agree, what do they consider the "first" Wal Mart in the area. I currently drive 10 - 15 minutes to one of the three surrounding Wal Marts, and spend hundreds of dollars each week in these municipalities. I do most of my grocery shopping and all of my household shopping at Wal Mart. K Mart just doesn't cut it. And now, in Nov. 2011, we are left with 5 vacant car dealerships and a crumbling, half torn down McDonald's. Let's get this show on the road!
Sherlock
1:53 pm on Tuesday, August 7, 2012
The 5 vacant dealerships and money problems in the city are the result of forcing existing revenue producing businesses to move out so someone can line their pockets from providing TIF to a developer for future headaches and increased crime. Look at the history records of previous locations that WAL MART has moved in to! And once they leave, (look at Des Peres/Town & Country) WAL MART does not sell the property back and lets it decay and become an eyesore for all to see. If a WAL MART does go in, and I wanted anything from a WAL MART, I will still go to one of the other WAL MART to shop (Ballwin-Manchester, Eureka, Chesterfield, or even Washington) before I go to a new one in ELLISVILLE that will also charge higher taxes to line somebody's pocket. I will go to K-MART too, if it's still around and doesn't get put out of business. If it goes in, it's time to move out of the city as it will no longer be one of the top 100 place to live.
***AVOID ANY NEW ELLISVILLE WAL MART****