Wal-Mart: Making Worcester a "City on the Move" in the Wrong Direction

To:  Worcester City Council, City Manager, Planning Board, Members of the Press

We are opposed to the proposed 209,000 s.f. Wal-Mart Supercenter on the 44-acre parcel of land between Route 146 and the Blackstone River, on Tobias Way in Worcester.

There are several reasons why such development of this parcel is undesirable and shortsighted. The problems that would be created include, but are not limited to:

• The site, abutting the Blackstone River and bikepath, will have environmental, aesthetic, and recreational consequences
• Neighbors and commuters can expect 16,000+ additional car trips to and from the site by the developer's estimate
• Our region’s “Heritage Corridor” would lead to the world’s largest retailer with no cultural significance or local distinction

Wal-Mart's large-scale, big-box development is a contradiction of the City of Worcester's stated goals and initiatives:

• “The goal should be to distinguish Worcester from its peers by celebrating unique and authentic characteristics, not by disguising them or replicating features in other cities” – Worcester’s Office of Economic Development’s Action Agenda.
• “Protect Worcester’s natural and cultural resources which give it an identity of its own. Create, protect, and preserve greenway linkages, trail corridors, and bikeways connecting recreational, open space, and community resources in and around Worcester” [ italics are from the plan’s text ] - goals of Worcester’s Open Space and Recreation Plan
• “Fostering the creation and expansion of start up and small businesses in the manufacturing, service, and retail sectors.” – goal of the city’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy

Wal-Mart introduces a host of economic concerns that suggest they have turned their back on their responsibility to society, despite company rhetoric to the contrary. Among these concerns are:

• Our tax dollars subsidizing Wal-Mart’s site development, operations and employee benefits through government development grants, tax incentives and healthcare programs.
• Rampant labor violations ranging from employee discrimination, usage of child and immigrant labor, anti-union policies, and environmental violations to sweatshops abroad
• Trivial charitable giving relative to revenues and earnings

More important are the adverse local impacts of:

• Chronic vacancies caused by competitor store closures and abandonment of regular Wal-Mart storefronts
• Property value declines of 15-20% of adjacent properties
• The vast majority of their profits immediately leave the city to go to Wal-Mart’s centralized operations instead of our money circulating locally

No one disputes that Wal-Mart offers lower prices, but these come at significant expense in other areas of our lives. Their public relations story of increased economic development is actually one of economic displacement, and simply reflects a shift of economic activity rather than creation of new activity.

Local merchants, much more than providers of goods and services, contribute to civic and cultural life and provide leadership in community affairs. They help create a sense of place and community identity. They support the local business infrastructure by utilizing local services such as accountants, lawyers, printers, media, distributors, banks, and more. In this way, a dollar spent at a locally owned business sends a ripple of economic benefits through the community.

Economic development in Worcester can be better sustained in the long term with alternative, smarter growth projects. We can do better. Say “No” to the proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter and put Worcester First.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

The Wal-Mart: Making Worcester a "City on the Move" in the Wrong Direction Petition to Worcester City Council, City Manager, Planning Board, Members of the Press was created by Worcester First and written by Shannon Senior (shannon_senior@hotmail.com).  This petition is hosted here at www.PetitionOnline.com as a public service. There is no endorsement of this petition, express or implied, by Artifice, Inc. or our sponsors. For technical support please use our simple Petition Help form.

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