WASHINGTON — Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said Friday that it would close 269 stores, and has decided to cancel plans for two new stores in the District, one at the Capitol Gateway Marketplace and the other at Skyland Town Center.
Those two stores were considered key components to the two Ward 7 retail projects, and D.C. Councilwoman Yvette Alexander quickly condemned Wal-Mart’s decision.
“I am angry and I take this personally as I advocated to bring them to Ward 7,” Alexander said in a statement. “They signed leases and now they have broken their deal. This has racial and social-economic discrimination implications.”
Wal-Mart said in a statement the stores no longer fit its plans.
“As part of a broad, strategic review of our existing portfolio and pipeline, we’ve concluded opening two additional stores in Washington, D.C., is not viable at this time. Our experience over the last three years operating our current stores in D.C. has given us a fuller view on building and operating stores in the District. This decision will not affect our three existing stores and we look forward to continue serving these customers in the future.”
Wal-Mart was to anchor both retail developments.
The District recently brokered a deal with Safeway to lift a decades-old covenant that blocked the construction of Wal-Mart at the Skyland project.
Wal-Mart’s Skyland store would have created 300 construction jobs and 300 permanent jobs with an estimated $65 million in sales and real-property taxes to the District.
None of the Wal-Mart stores or Sam’s Club stores that the retailer will close in the U.S. are located in the Washington metro area. One store in Baltimore, on Port Covington Drive, will close Sunday.
