Aberdeen, WA – Walmart, one of the City of Aberdeen’s largest retailers and a 17 year tenant of the Port of Grays Harbor, has announced plans to expand their store. The announcement followed the Port of Grays Harbor Commission Meeting where Port officials voted unanimously to sell the company land adjacent to and under the current store.
“Walmart has proven to be a good neighbor in the East Aberdeen corridor and their expansion will bring additional election to the citizens of Grays Harbor,” reported Commission President Jack Thompson.
Walmart has agreed to purchase 7 acres for $2 million. The purchase includes just over 5 acres of land the Company has under an existing lease that expires in 2043. Walmart plans to add approximately 36,000 square feet to their Aberdeen store resulting in 50 new full time associates upon completion. The store currently employs some 290 associates.
“New jobs, significant private investment and the positive economic impact to the county while maintaining public access to the waterfront walkway were the criteria the Commission used to weigh this decision. We determined the sale of this property was consistent with our long-term master plan to support retail and commercial opportunities in East Aberdeen while putting a long-term leased property back on the tax rolls,” furthered Commissioner Thompson. “This expansion to a full-service store will enable Walmart to take our mission of ‘saving people money so they can live better’ to an exciting new level – right here in Aberdeen,” said Jennifer Spall, Walmart’s senior manager of public affairs.
“During these tough economic times,” added Spall, “it’s important that we not only serve our customers better with a broader offering of products and services, but also provide critical economic development opportunities to the Aberdeen and Grays Harbor County communities.” “One of the best things about this project is not only will Walmart be able to expand but we are putting some under utilized land to good use without impacting the public uses of Aberdeen’s waterfront,” commented Aberdeen Mayor Bill Simpson. “Aberdeen has a number of strong retailers who have developed their niche markets and I don’t believe this expansion will negatively affect their markets.” The Port of Grays Harbor on Washington’s Pacific Coast operates 4 deepwater marine terminals and hundreds of acres of marine industrial property. Only 1-½ vessel hours from open sea, Grays Harbor offers rail and highway access to markets throughout North America. The Port of Grays Harbor owns and operates the 500 slip Westport Marina and Washington Coast’s jet-capable airport, Bowerman Field. More information and photographs of Port facilities, visit their website at portofgraysharbor.com
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