UPDATE: Did you know Walmart has launched a Portland specific website with slick ads from local business Franz Bakery talking about how much Walmart supports local business? I did not, until reader dudeluna pointed it out to me. They’re definitely laying the groundwork to try and change public opinion of Walmart in Portland. Check it out:

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Here’s a hot news tip-off from the blog of Portland real estate company Urban Design Works: Walmart is “actively working and negotiating” on 17 Portland-area locations for new “neighborhood market” stores. This may be coming to a suburb near you.

As Urban Design Works notes, “neighborhood market” is an oxymoron here, since the company is based in Arkansas and is also the world’s largest retailer. Walmart hasn’t made public any of these locations, no doubt getting their (Chinese made, highly affordable) ducks in a row before the inevitable backlash. Mayor Sam Adams has campaigned against Walmarts in Sellwood and Hayden Island. According to The O, Walmart has commissioned an economic study of the feasibility of these locations, which would add to their current four stores in the area.

So here’s the list of potential future Walmart sites:

• Raleigh Hills: Ex-Zupan’s at Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy & Apple Way
• Lake Grove: Ex-Whole Foods at Boones Ferry Rd & Jean Rd.
• West Linn: Ex-Lamb’s Thriftway at Hwy 43 & Hidden Valley
• Gresham: Ex-QFC at 182nd & Powell
• Gresham: Ex-Food 4 Less at Powell & Burnside
• Beaverton: Ex-Haggen’s at SW Murray & 147th
• Vancouver: Ex-Fred Meyer at 4th Plain & Grand
• Vancouver: Ex-Winco at Hwy 500 & Thurston Way
• Oregon City: Molalla Ave. & S. Beavercreek (land parcel)
• Salmon Creek: 134th & I-5 (land parcel)
• Tigard: SW Greenburg Rd. & Hwy 217
• Oak Grove: Ex-G.I. Joe’s at SE McLoughlin & Concord

The blog also notes:

Also rumored are negotiations for several close-in urban locations in north and southeast Portland…SE Belmont and North Williams…imagine those neighborhood meetings!

Thanks to humanclock for the heads up!

Sarah Shay Mirk reported on transportation, sex and gender issues, and politics at the Mercury from 2008-2013. They have gone on to make many things, including countless comics and several books.

13 replies on “List of Portland-Area Sites Where Walmart is “Actively Negotiating” for New Stores”

  1. Has Walmart hate reached that crescendo where hipsters are supposed to ironically like it yet? Or are we in the post-hate/post-irony phase where we just quickly buy a cheap toaster and leave?

    I don’t have an iPad so I can’t keep up on these things.

  2. Great, now a bunch of fat fucks in sweat pants and Looney Tunes T-shirts (if I’m fucking lucky) will be parading around my neighborhood as if they don’t have couches on which to eat themselves to death. Fuck Wal*Mart, fuck Looney Tunes, fuck Chinese goods.

  3. So long as wal-mart exists, it will be hated. I dislike even going near one. For everything it stands for, and also, I find them creepy.

    I have only been out to the airport Ikea once, but it only took once to know that I get the same kind of creepy vibes from that shopping center. Something about the desolate landscape and massive slabs of concrete churns my stomach.

  5. This post made me feel so very Portland-y. I saw the title, and was like “No! Fuck Wal-Mart! NIMBY!” and then I read the list and none of the places are in the city and I was all, “Psh, whatever, just the suburbs” and then I hated myself for being such a stereotypical PDX snob.

    In conclusion: ummm….fuck wal-mart? Anything else??

  6. your actions are futile the simple fact of the world is money talks. walmart will go where walmart wants as soon as the right money is offered

  8. Hipsters don’t ironically get in to things because they are hated, they get in to things because they have faded in to obscurity after being somewhat popular. Wal-Mart is in no danger of attracting hipster business.

  9. I’m still not certain why Wal-Mart chose a logo that looks like a puckered anus.

    (And, yes, I *am* trying to see how many comments I can work the word “anus” into this week, thank you very much.)

  11. So Portland desperately wants more grocery stores in low income communities, as long as they’re not Wal-Mart. That makes sense.

    Also, none of those locations are actually in Portland, so we don’t have to worry.

  12. I don’t like Wal-Mart, but I definitely appreciate the influx of new jobs as well as local businesses working with Wal-Mart or around these locations getting an economic boost.

  13. Were you able to stop the conditional permit for an extension of business hours between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.? Other communities are curious…

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