Lodi, CA: Court Ordered Study Finds Wal-Mart Supercenter Harms Local Business

The Lodi, CA City Council gave Wal-Mart approval to build a giant supercenter. Citizens sued, saying the City failed to consider the impact on the community. The judge agreed and ordered a study.

The court-ordered study is in and confirms what citizens have said: the Wal-Mart supercenter would hurt the community.

Sacramento Street has long lagged behind in Lodi's downtown renewal efforts, its string of boarded-up and deteriorating storefronts a familiar eyesore.

If economic forecasters are right, planting a behemoth Wal-Mart Supercenter in Lodi could mean the street stays that way a lot longer.

It could mean fewer Heidi Johnsons: small business owners willing to take a chance on the underdeveloped corridor. A recent study analyzing the potential economic impacts of a 226,868-square-foot Supercenter in Lodi says the mega-retailer could stunt downtown's growth.

The Northcross situation is different: it's a growing area. But, much of that growth—particularly the most desirable growth—is coming from local and small businesses. The challenge those business owners face is similar to that as in Lodi. That's another reason why we need to stop the Wal-Mart Supercenter at Northcross.

Read the full article here: Wal-Mart report backs critics