By Bianca Fortis
Although the company will not confirm it, rumors have been surfacing that the discount department store Walmart may be opening its first site in the city in Ridgewood.
The news was first reported by the real estate blog Commercial Observer and was based on interviews with local brokers.
Steven Restivo, senior director of communications for the store, would not confirm or deny whether Walmart will be setting up shop in Ridgewood. He simply said the company continues to evaluate opportunities across the five boroughs.
But Walmart Free NYC is ready: The coalition was formed years ago to prevent the chain from coming to the city.
David Schwartz, who represents the New York Association of Grocery Stores and is a member of the coalition, said Walmart could be devastating for the area.
“Walmart has been a disaster nationally for neighborhoods and communities,” he said. “New York City is big, but it’s made up of small towns. They’ll come in, destroy the mom-and-pop shops which are under assault anyway in this city for a number of reasons, hire non-union employees and pay minimum wage. I don’t think that’s how New Yorkers want to get ahead.”
Schwartz maintains that Walmart is worse for the city than other big-box stores. Some of the other stores pay union wages and have proved to be better community partners, he said.
The company has long faced a number of criticisms, including low wages, poor working conditions, the use of sweatshop labor and racial and gender discrimination.
But those allegations do not seem to bother many New Yorkers, according to Restivo.
“New Yorkers want us here and residents continue to go out of their way to shop our stores outside the city,” Restivo said in an e-mail.
Last year, city residents spent more than $215 million at regional Walmart stores and the city’s metro area remains the top U.S. market in online sales, he said.
Restivo pointed to several independent polls that say New Yorkers want the big-box store.
“In terms of impact, Chicago provides a good example: We operate nine stores there and employ close to 2,000 people in the city,” Restivo said.
But Schwartz pointed to studies that indicated Chicago lost jobs when a Walmart opened.
Tim Renz, executive director of the Ridgewood Local Development Corp. and the Myrtle Avenue Business Improvement District, said he has heard the rumors circulating throughout the summer.
He said he was not sure what space in Ridgewood is actually available for a new Walmart. The retailer’s stores often cover more than 100,000 square feet, which could prove a challenge in New York City’s close quarters.
Renz said should Walmart decide to open one of its smaller Express stores, a building would be easier to find. He suggested the retail giant may look at buildings in the neighborhood’s northern boundary, an industrial area adjacent to Maspeth.
“But as far as I know, all of those are occupied,” he said.
He said the businesses with which he works will likely be concerned if a Walmart were to open, but neither the Ridgewood Local Development Corp. nor the Myrtle Avenue Business Improvement District has released an official statement regarding the issue.
Gary Giordano, district manager of Community Board 5, said he first heard about a possible Walmart opening about a month ago.
He said he has not gotten a sense from the board or local residents about their opinion of a Walmart store, but it depends on specifics, such as the location and size of the store.
“Although I don’t think they ever do anything small, do they?” Giordano said.
Reach reporter Bianca Fortis by email at bfortis@cnglocal.com or by phone at 718-260-4546.
