Walmart Supercenter to bring 300 jobs to Lady's Island, company says
A Walmart spokeswoman confirmed plans Wednesday to open a Supercenter on Lady's Island and said the store will create 300 jobs.
The store will be part of a Sea Island Airport Shoppes complex proposed near the Beaufort County Airport, at the intersection of Sea Island Parkway and Airport Circle.
"We're working closely with the city to make modifications to the Lady's Island site plan so our new Supercenter will better fit the needs of the community and accommodate the city's special requests," said Amanda Henneberg, Walmart's senior manager of communications for public affairs and government relations for the Southeast, in a statement. "Our new store on Lady's Island will provide area residents with an affordable and convenient option for their grocery and other shopping needs, while contributing greatly to vitality of the local economy."
The 150,000-square-foot store is part of a planned 26-acre complex that includes room for more than 30,000 square feet of additional retail space.
A plan was originally proposed in 2008 and rejected by the city of Beaufort, leading to lengthy litigation and rewriting of a planned unit development agreement for the 41-acre parcel known as Airport Junction.
A settlement reached in 2011 limited a big-box store to 150,000 square feet and required that it -- or any structure larger than 55,000 square feet -- sit 300 feet from the street, according to The Beaufort Gazette archives. All structures larger than 55,000 square feet would have to face Airport Circle rather than Sea Island Parkway, with parking between the building and Airport Circle.
Developers met with city staff for a pre-application meeting Tuesday. The site plan is being reworked to account for environmental concerns, including stormwater runoff and live oaks on the wooded lot.
"We look forward to our store being a part of the solution for the community on Lady's Island," Henneberg said.
Follow reporter Erin Moody at twitter.com/IPBG_Erin.
Related content:
- Plans underway to build Walmart Super Center on Lady's Island
- Lady's Island, city of Beaufort in talks on area once slated for Walmart , June 22, 2011
- City to appeal ruling allowing big-box store on Lady's Island , Jan. 26, 2010
- Compromise elusive in zoning dispute on Lady's Island , Jan. 21, 2009
This story was originally published March 4, 2015 at 7:23 PM with the headline "Walmart Supercenter to bring 300 jobs to Lady's Island, company says."