Another Walmart in the works for Independence

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Charlotte residents will have their pick of Walmarts on Independence Boulevard, with yet another one planned for the thoroughfare.

According to a building permit issued last week by Mecklenburg County, the $5 million project is proposed for the former Best Buy site at 7421 E. Independence Blvd.

It would be the second Walmart on Independence, according to Walmart’s website.

Scott Tuttle, president of Charlotte-based Carmel Contractors, listed on the building permit as the project’s contractor, on Monday said plans call for construction of a Walmart Neighborhood Market. Those are generally smaller than traditional Walmarts.

“We don’t have the drawings just yet,” Tuttle said, “but the owner wanted us to get the permit process going so we could stay on schedule. We should know more about the project soon. We just wanted to make sure they had our name and number to put on the permit.”

Tuttle said he expected to have drawings and plans in his hands by the end of next week.

The Best Buy relocated to 2109 Matthews Township Parkway May 2011.

According to Mecklenburg County records, West Virginia lawyer Steven White owns the property where the Neighborhood Market will be built. White could not be reached for comment.

In January, and only about five miles to the north, a Walmart Supercenter opened on Independence at 3850 E. Independence Blvd., the former Amity Gardens Shopping Center site.

According to walmartstores.com, the Neighborhood Markets are typically about 42,000 square feet versus the 185,000-square-foot average for Supercenters and 108,000-square-foot traditional Walmarts.

The permit says the Neighborhood Market would be No. 4149.

Walmart could not be reached for comment.

BAUGHMAN can be reached at [email protected].