WALMART BUYS LAND FOR STORE

Officials of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. of Bentonville, Ark., signed papers Tuesday to purchase 23 acres for construction of a Supercenter in Cape Girardeau.

The land is being purchased from Drury Development Corp. of Cape Girardeau. The site is southwest of the Route K/Interstate 55 intersection in Drury's Cape West Business Park.

The purchase price was reportedly in excess of $1 million. The cost of the proposed facility was not disclosed.

"Construction on the store could start in the next week or two," said Dan Overbey, spokesman for Drury. "We are looking at a nine-month construction schedule. The project should be completed around spring 1992."

"The associates are excited," said Kathie Brennan, assistant manager of the Cape Girardeau Wal-Mart store.

"We told them today about the land purchase and showed them the plans. They are anxious to move," Brennan said Wednesday.

The Supercenter will employ an extra 100 people, bringing the total number of employees to 450, according to the assistant manager.

She said the store moved to the present building on Silver Springs Road from Route K and Kingshighway. "We have been in this store for seven years," Brennan said. "We have a case of the proverbial seven-year itch."

The 168,000-square-foot Supercenter will be similar to the one built at Farmington. She said differences will include the new company color scheme of deep blue, dove gray and red.

The Supercenter will include a full-line grocery store with a meat counter, fresh produce and frozen foods to complement a full-line Wal-Mart with an expanded offering of merchandise. Other services will be a pharmacy; tire, battery and auto service center; snack bar; and an expanded garden center.

Building plans have been submitted to the city as required in order to secure a building permit.

The facility will not include retail gasoline sales. Brennan said Wal-Mart tried gasoline sales at its other Supercenters as a test and is not continuing the practice.

The new store will double the amount of floor space available in the existing Cape Girardeau store and will provide more customer parking space. It will handle 1,200 vehicles.

Company officials indicate the Jackson Wal-Mart store will remain in operation. They say the 15-year-old store will serve as a community store while the Supercenter will serve the region.

Overbey said Drury Development and Wal-Mart are working with state highway officials on ways to improve Route K in front of the store to allow for necessary entrance and exit from the property.

He said Drury is coordinating development of the adjacent property in the business park with Wal-Mart. Compatible businesses such as fast-food restaurants and retail shops will be developed there, said Overbey.