Neighborhood Market Perks Up Hard-Hit Area

January 9, 2009 Friday

On the inside, the new WalMart Neighborhood Market in Clearwater looks pretty much like other grocery stores. In addition to aisles of groceries, it has a deli, a bakery and a pharmacy with a drive-through.


It is on the exterior that the market really makes a statement.


A shopping center property that had been dilapidated for years, with a parking lot that was a magnet for criminal activity, now bustles with business.


The buildings that house the market and other shops now look modern and appealing in shades of brown and beige. Dozens of palm trees are planted on the property, and yellow hibiscuses bloom in the flower beds.


Suddenly, even the surrounding commercial establishments look better, and a neighborhood that had been in decline for years appears to be renewed.


This is one example of why redevelopment is vital to communities. Some people argue, "Just leave things the way they are. We don't like change." But a community that doesn't change risks stagnation, and stagnation is often accompanied by deterioration, a decline in property values and an up tick in criminal activity.


Clearwater residents who travel along Highland Avenue between Drew Street and Sunset Point Road may be familiar with the property where the WalMart Neighborhood Market opened this week. The previously dilapidated strip center on the east side of Highland just south of Sunset Point Road once housed a Winn Dixie. The customer base for the store declined over time, and the property became a hangout for vagrants. The strip center's condition seemed to downgrade the surrounding working class neighborhoods.


The new WalMart market increases traffic in the area, which some may consider a detriment. But it also brings a modernized appearance, lush landscaping, a new shopping option for residents, and new storefronts that can provide opportunities for those interested in operating small businesses. A clothing store and a nail salon are already open in the new plaza.


The store also improves safety in the area. Like all WalMart Neighborhood Markets, it is open 24 hours a day, and that around-the-clock activity will discourage criminal activity. So will the signs posted all over the parking lot that warn, "Security cameras in use."


Unlike regular WalMart stores and the massive WalMart Super centers, which can have substantial negative impacts on the environment, traffic and competing businesses, the Neighborhood Markets have a smaller footprint and are better neighbors. They are no bigger than regular grocery stores.


For those who wonder why government officials are so eager to encourage redevelopment, the changes on Highland Avenue provide the answer. Redevelopment is how a community renews itself.