PORT ANGELES — The demolition and construction permits for a Walmart Supercenter in eastern Port Angeles have been officially issued, paving the way for construction to begin.
The permits, which were official Dec. 1, now allow the company to move forward with construction in 2010, said Steve Gray, Clallam County planning manager.
The new store, which would include a supermarket, will be built on the site of a Kmart store that closed nearly 12 years ago.
The existing Walmart store across U.S. Highway 101 west of the Morse Creek “S” curve will be vacated and is already up for sale.
Asking price is $4.95 million for the building and its 19.67-acre property, according to the Web site www.loopnet.com.
The permit to raze the Kmart buildings was issued through Groat Brothers Inc. as the general contractor for the $200,000 demolition project.
The permit for demolition was originally filed in July.
The Walmart Supercenter — a larger department store with supermarket and specialty shops — at 3471 E. Kolonels Way will be built on the 19.8-acre site.
According to the construction permit, BCRA Inc. of Tacoma will be the general contractor for the $13.67 million project, which is in unincorporated county territory outside the Port Angeles city limit.
Phone calls to Arkansas-based Walmart requesting comment were not returned Monday.
According to Walmart’s Web site, www.walmartstores.com, the retailer operates 2,737 Supercenters nationwide, and most are open 24 hours.
Supercenters average 187,000 square feet, compared with the 130,000-square-foot existing Walmart store across the highway.
County meeting
The contractors will meet with county permitting officials later this week, Gray said.
“That isn’t required, but it is their due diligence to make sure they understand all of the terms of the permits,” he said.
Walmart has said it usually takes 10 months to 12 months to build a Walmart Supercenter.
A real estate Web site marketing the existing building says the retailer plans a move to the new store next fall.
About three months before opening, the store plans on naming a store manager, setting merchandise, hiring associates and training about 300 employees.
Current employees at the store at 3500 E. Highway 101 will be transferred to the new store, officials have said.
The site was originally eight lots but they were consolidated into two lots by the Clallam County commissioners on Sept. 1.
City sewer service
The city of Port Angeles will provide sewer service to the new store through a new sewer line installed in 2007 and 2008.
The city and county agreed to split any increase in sales tax revenue from the Walmart Supercenter once it’s up and running.
The city has agreed not to annex the land along the U.S. 101 corridor between the existing city limit at DelGuzzi Drive and Masters Road — which borders the Walmart Supercenter property about 2 miles east — until after 2015.
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladailynews.com.
