LOS ANGELES (KTLA) -- A rep for retail giant Wal-Mart has confirmed Saturday that it is working on opening a market on the edge of Chinatown.
The plans, which were first reported by the Los Angeles Business Journal last week, would involve a 33,000-square-foot space on the ground floor of a senior apartment complex on the corner of Cesar Chavez and Grand Avenues.
And while that might sound large, the proposed Neighborhood Market is only one-fifth of the size of a traditional Wal-Mart.
The store would be the first of its kind to be opened in Los Angeles County, which already boasts 28 traditional Wal-Marts, spokesman Steven Restivo told the L.A. Times.
Through it's still in the planning stages, the proposed market is already drawing ire from union activists who accuse the company of providing low-quality, low-paying hobs.
Supporters say the market is filling a void in the neighborhood, which only has one full-service supermarket in a 30-block radius.
"Our store is going to be part of the solution for folks who want fresh food options close to where they live or work,” Restivo said.
Wal-Mart says a lease has already been signed and construction could begin as early as the summer.
The plans, which were first reported by the Los Angeles Business Journal last week, would involve a 33,000-square-foot space on the ground floor of a senior apartment complex on the corner of Cesar Chavez and Grand Avenues.
The store would be the first of its kind to be opened in Los Angeles County, which already boasts 28 traditional Wal-Marts, spokesman Steven Restivo told the L.A. Times.
Through it's still in the planning stages, the proposed market is already drawing ire from union activists who accuse the company of providing low-quality, low-paying hobs.
Supporters say the market is filling a void in the neighborhood, which only has one full-service supermarket in a 30-block radius.
"Our store is going to be part of the solution for folks who want fresh food options close to where they live or work,” Restivo said.
Wal-Mart says a lease has already been signed and construction could begin as early as the summer.
