Wal-Mart plans second Sarasota location

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has submitted a preliminary application to the city’s planning department for a 97,779-square-foot supercenter store in the Ringling Shopping Center.

The store would revitalize a commercial area that now includes an aging plaza that lost its anchor tenant in October 2011, when Publix Super Markets Inc. closed to make way for its new Publix at 2031 Bay St.
Currently, the plaza has a few tenants left, but has lost several stores since Publix closed, including three restaurants and a UPS Store.

If the city approves the project, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. would demolish the existing plaza structure and build the new store in its place.

The pre-application stated that the current tenants will not be re-signing leases, but are welcome to stay until construction of new building is approved.

The store, which would include general merchandise, a pharmacy, deli, produce and groceries, would include 370 general parking spaces and 13 handicapped spaces.

The Walmart Supercenter would be small by supercenter standards, though, according to the pre-application. Typical supercenters are 150,000 square feet.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. faces many planning process hurdles, though, before the store can be built.

Corporate officials must hold several meetings with planning officials to review the application before it’s officially submitted. Once the application is complete, public hearings and public comments will be recorded with the Development Review Committee and the Planning Board before the Sarasota City Commission reviews an application for final approval.

It could take approximately four months for the application to make its way through the city process, and the Walmart could open as early as October 2013.

The store would be the second Walmart within city limits if it’s approved. A Walmart grocery store is being constructed now on the North Trail and is expected to open in October.