McGehee's prophecy coming true as P&Z approves plan that will bring Super Center

It’s a project former Bogalusa Mayor James “Mack” McGehee said he had worked on for 10 years when he announced last November that Walmart would build a Super Center on the site of the former Wade Tung Oil Plant property.

One of the variations of design used by
Walmart. In Bardstown, Ky., for example,
the Super Center has more of a "town square"
look that carries through the entire center.

Now, following today’s approval by the Planning & Zoning Commission of a proposal to subdivide the nearly 20-acre parcel, the store is one step closer to reality.

The property is located behind CVS and north of Ontario Street, stretching west to Shenandoah, east to Shriners/Memorial and north to Caswell.

While no timeline has been released, it generally takes about 12-16 months to build a new store, depending on the site work that is required. While the firm does use a number of contractors on a steady basis, as they are familiar with the store design and requirements, there are a number of construction-related jobs that would come about.

Additionally, building materials, such as the many thousands of cubic yards of concrete for the slab and the sand, clay and asphalt for the parking lot, will generate jobs and wages.

But for some, the news is a double-edged sword.

While the current Walmart underwent an extension renovation and expansion just last year, there are still many items people feel they must drive out of town to purchase. Those welcome the news.

The other side of the argument is how much damage can a Super Center do to the community’s remaining business base? And what will become of the current store in Shopyard Square?

But in Bogalusa, where 149 jobs are in the process of leaving this week as a shut-down crew works at Sitel, the prospects of a finding a job mean as much or more as having a wider shopping selection.

On the eve of the end of his first six months in office, current Mayor Charles Mizell told wpnewsblog that he had recently spoken with Walmart developers and that survey crews were due in the community.

“They told me if everything went well with the surveys, it looked good to go,” he said.

That is apparently the case and now, following protocol, P&Z will send its recommendations to the city council next month where no opposition is expected.

McGehee said the site is the first location he showed Walmart officials and despite looking at spots all around the city, they returned to the first one and settled on a location basically in the middle.

Following Walmart’s standard development protocol for smaller communities, the main store will stand alone while space will be available for additional development, such as a strip center.

The Bentonville, Ark.-based firm, founded by the late Sam Walton, follows a standard approach to development. The chain’s super centers range in size from 98,000 to 261,000 square feet. While specific details are not available, Walmart’s banking partner — Woodforest National Bank — is licensed to operate in Louisiana and is found in a number of Walmart locations. Also, there is early speculation as to whether the chain’s gas-dispensing partner, Murphy Oil of El Dorado, Ark., will be part of the landscape.