As reported in the Stockton (Ca.) Record, Stockton City Council voted 6-1 to prohibit Wal-Mart from building a Super Center in their community. And---that was without any incentives.
Now, get this: "Phoenix-based Vestar Development Co. had proposed a Wal-Mart Supercenter to anchor a planned shopping center in Weston Ranch, near Interstate 5 and French Camp Road. The company's Jeffrey Axtel said the company would pull out if the prohibition was adopted."
The thing is: Vestar seems to front for Wal-Mart or other box stores wherever they go: Oro Valley; Kingman; and now Stockton California. And probably a lot of other places too. Our Town Council should have done their homework. They didn't. Vestar doesn't build "upscale malls". Click here to see what they do build: Ordinary retailer shopping centers!
Isn't it about time that Oro Valley gets Council Members like KC Carter and Paula Abbott who are responsive to the citizens?
Hopefully, next year.
Click here to read the story.
3 comments:
"Lee said Vestar's threat is vacant and that the company could deliver a better product."
Ya think???
If Vestar could hold their presentation and hand out their phony surveys in 2005, and the mall won't be ready until 2008, but the Town Council could enact a ban on supercenters in 2007 (in the midst of the deal) why can't Oro Valley do the same?
And why does Vestar always threaten to walk if Wal-Mart is not allowed as the anchor? I think Vestar is a front for Wal-Mart. W-M has a bad reputation these days and can't get into a mall on their own, so Vestar shows up instead, promising an upscale mall in order to get the approvals, and then they deliver the Wal-Mart that was planned all along. Gee, I wonder how much Wal-Mart pays Vestar to do this?
Vestar has shown a pattern everywhere they go of promising upscale and then delivering a Wal-Mart. So at this point, not only does OV have proof of fraud on the OVM deal, but they can show a pattern of fraud on the part of Vestar.
So where is the lawsuit already??!!
Oro Valley can enact a ban on supercenters, BUT it wouldn't apply to the Oro Valley Marketplace.
Why?
Because Vestar inserted language into the EDA that exempts them from any future development ordinances, including "big-box" ordinances and increases in impact fees.
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