Columbus Walmart project was off the table. Now it's one of top stores in region

The Walmart on Victory Drive is a game changer for south Columbus but the project was off the table before the city revived the proposal.

Economic development, fighting poverty, crime and transportation projects were among the topics highlighted Thursday during the 29th “Let’s Talk With the Mayor” forum at the Springer Opera House. More than 90 residents and city officials turned out for the forum in downtown Columbus.

City Manager Isaiah Hugley made one of the biggest announcements about a project that was pulled off the table during negotiations with the giant retailer. A market study, performed by Buxton Inc. and funded by the chamber and Development Authority, listed reasons Walmart should consider the site. The study showed that Walmart would make money in south Columbus to save the deal.

Hugley said the city learned the Walmart at 3515 Victory Drive has made history in the state for the company. In a March 6 resolution from Columbus Council, the Walmart Supercenter store No. 1338 was recognized as “Store of the Year” out of 120 stores in the Region 2 market.

In downtown, Hugley noted that two hotels also will be built and pointed to a number of projects in Council District 7 represented by Evelyn “Mimi” Woodson. The city manager said the district is one of the most progressive in the community when it comes to economic development.

In other blighted areas, Hugley said the city acquired 40 acres at Fort Benning and Cusseta roads but didn’t know at the time that a $56 million new high school would be constructed for Spencer High School. There are also plans for a streetscape project from Brennan Road to Victory Drive.

Gerald Stinson asked Mayor Teresa Tomlinson about the high-speed rail to Atlanta and a new development on J.R. Allen Parkway near the Manchester Expressway.

“It’s very exciting,” Tomlinson said of the rail proposal. Columbus is still on the list for the proposal that would provide rail service from Columbus to Atlanta for $42 one way with one stop in Newnan. Studies show that the project in Columbus would be profitable in the first year.

Rick Jones, the city’s directer of planning, said city officials have been meeting with the developer for Midland Commons in the old Swift Denim plant at J.R. Allen Parkway and Manchester Expressway. The city is concerned about the traffic a possible housing and retail development on 289 acres would add to a heavily traveled roadway.

Jones said the city has worked with the Department of Transportation to synchronize lights along the corridor to help move traffic. “Traffic is moving better than it was six months or a year ago,” he said.

With 35 homicides investigated by police in 2017, Tomlinson said the city had more murders since police started keeping statistics while the city saw a reduction in other crimes such as burglaries, auto thefts and aggravated assaults. “We had much improvement,” she said.

Overall, part one crimes or the more serious offenses totaled 15,500 in 2009 while they dropped last year to 9,600. “That is a huge difference,” the mayor said.

Columbus Police Chief Ricky Boren said officers are going into areas where they tend to see crimes occurring. “We have a very progressive police department, very progressive patrols,” he said. “We are aggressively going into some blighted areas where we tend to see some crimes fester. It’s not a lot the police department can do about the economy, do anything about education. We can’t do anything about jobs here or training.”

The police department gets the results of some of those factors in the community.

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