Anyone who reads soundoff comments in the Freeman knows that its a mixed bag. Some comments are well thought out and insightful, some funny, some angry, and many are just rants by people who often times don’t really know what they are talking about. This morning there was a comment that I thought was so off-base that I had to post it and comment. This person said the following:
“NEWS FLASH! The new Wal-Mart Superstore might not be built in Waukesha. The way Wal-Mart was jerked around by Sometimes Mayor Nelson and the rest of his ilk in City Hall, is it any wonder they may not build here? This is Wal-Mart, not Neiman-Marcus or Bloomingdale’s. Wal-Mart profits are not the same to allow them to build the Taj Mahal of buildings in our city. Anything Wal-Mart would build is better than what is on the property now. Thank you, city officials. You are doing a great job and we will remember you come election time. Another good tax producer about to evaporate from Waukesha.”
First off Wal Mart would not bail because the City asked them to improve the appearance of the building. If they want to be in a community they will pretty much build whatever the City wants. Why should Waukesha get a dumpy looking Wal Mart while places like Pewaukee get attractive looking ones? Its about time the City stands up and demands some higher architectural standards. If Wal Mart doesn’t want to make some alterations that the City wants, to get a more attractive product, I say good riddance. Would you rather they just emulated the piece of crap Wal Mart building on 164? The one with the crumbling parking lot with no landscaping and a stormwater management pond that is filled with garbage and enclosed with a Cyclone fence? The one that is quite possibly the worst looking retail property on 164? The articles about Wal Mart don’t really clarify why Wal Mart may back out but I seriously doubt that it has anything to do with Waukesha’s site and architectural enhancement requests.
Second, your comments about Wal Mart’s profits not being the same as Neiman-Marcus or Bloomingdale’s to allow them to build the Taj Mahal of buildings in our city is quit possibly the most ill-informed, idiotic comment ever published in the Soundoff. Wal Mart was ranked Number 1 in the Fortune 500 last year. Their profits were 11,284,000,000 (thats 11.3 BILLION dollars) in the fiscal year ending in January 2007 and you are telling me they cannot afford to make their buildings look nice? Give me a break!