Downtown Grocery Store

[Martin]

i generally choose not to shop at anything wal-mart but if they're willing to invest in serving the downtown community where others can't/won't, then more power to them. -M

[Pete]

i generally choose not to shop at anything wal-mart but if they're willing to invest in serving the downtown community where others can't/won't, then more power to them. -M

I feel the same way about the Sam's at 39th & May.

I've been using that location a lot and ditto for the Lowe's just to the south.

[Pete]

i generally choose not to shop at anything wal-mart but if they're willing to invest in serving the downtown community where others can't/won't, then more power to them. -M

I feel the same way about the Sam's at 39th & May.

I've been using that location a lot and ditto for the Lowe's just to the south.

[bchris02]

i generally choose not to shop at anything wal-mart but if they're willing to invest in serving the downtown community where others can't/won't, then more power to them. -M

As long as they build to urban standards, I am fine with it. I dislike that it's going to be Wal-Mart, but they are currently the only player in the OKC grocery market with deep enough pockets to take the risk on moving downtown right now. Downtown OKC probably isn't ready for a CityTarget yet and stores like Crest and Uptown seem to be more focused on suburban expansion at the moment. Homeland is stagnant. Wal-Mart has some decent stores in other markets where they have done their best to compliment the community rather than work against it. That's my biggest beef with Wal-Mart, especially the way they have operated in the OKC market, but if they are willing to do this store differently, it could be a great thing. From everything I've seen posted on here from Pete and otherwise, anything else in terms of a full supermarket downtown would be around 3-5 years away. Having a supermarket downtown sooner than that would be a huge benefit and may also spur more growth downtown as they would no longer have to drive so far for basic goods.

[OKCPetro83]

I think it should only be approved if it is built to an urban standard. If they want their standard big box store, tell them to take a hike.

[DenverPoke]

As long as they build to urban standards, I am fine with it. I dislike that it's going to be Wal-Mart, but they are currently the only player in the OKC grocery market with deep enough pockets to take the risk on moving downtown right now. Downtown OKC probably isn't ready for a CityTarget yet and stores like Crest and Uptown seem to be more focused on suburban expansion at the moment. Homeland is stagnant. Wal-Mart has some decent stores in other markets where they have done their best to compliment the community rather than work against it. That's my biggest beef with Wal-Mart, especially the way they have operated in the OKC market, but if they are willing to do this store differently, it could be a great thing. From everything I've seen posted on here from Pete and otherwise, anything else in terms of a full supermarket downtown would be around 3-5 years away. Having a supermarket downtown sooner than that would be a huge benefit and may also spur more growth downtown as they would no longer have to drive so far for basic goods.

Target has pretty much moved away from the CityTarget brand and now focuses on what was called the smaller TargetExpress (roughly 20,000 sq ft) concept which is basically a Walgreens/CVS model.
They've since rebranded both as just Target but I could see a TargetExpress type store in midtown as a possibility in 3-5 or so years but a CityTarget (80,000 sq ft) downtown isn't going to happen, probably ever.