Wal Mart Cancels Plans for Iowa City Supercenter

Following up from a post earlier this week. The Register writes about Wal Mart's decision to not buy the land from the city of Iowa City.

Wal-Mart will not build a supercenter as planned off Ruppert Road in south Iowa City, company spokesman Ryan Horn said Friday. However, the Bentonville, Ark.-based retail giant still plans to expand here.

"Basically, the city has been good to work with and has done everything appropriately and we certainly understand and appreciate the council's need to move the transaction forward quickly," Horn said. "But we're not going to be able to close on the property by July 31 and thus continue the project."

Gary Sanders, who led the group against the Supercenter, had this to say.

Gary Sanders, chairman of the Stop Wal-Mart campaign, said the news was a "great victory" after a year and a half fight.

"Wal-Mart is the No. 1 predator corporation. And we do not need them on public land in Iowa City," he said to The Des Moines Register Friday.

So it sounds like Wal Mart will continue looking for a place to build a Supercenter. Maybe Iowa City should sell them part of the Old Capitol Mall. Students would flock to Wal Mart and it would attract people to downtown to do shopping instead of heading out to Coralville.