Still no timeline in place for Wal-Mart on Allentown

LIMA - Lima City Council will vote Monday on a waterline easement agreement for the planned development of a new Wal-Mart Supercenter on Allentown Road.

However, the legislation should not be taken as progress on the now-delayed retail project. The company would not commit to its previously stated construction in 2009 or 2010, which was a delay from the original opening.

"There's no definitive timeline to have a store in place," said Wal-Mart spokesperson Jason Wetzel. "We're working through that process."

The waterline and hydrants will be on private property but maintained by the city, Assistant Utilities Director Mike Caprella said, requiring the easement for city workers to be on the property making repairs.

The new store was originally scheduled to open this summer. In June 2007, Wal-Mart modified its growth plans across the country to protect its cash flow and delayed local construction on the Allentown Road store until 2009 or 2010. At the time, it signaled the store remained in the company's long-term plans.

In June of this year, in the middle of a poor economy, the company again lowered projections for capital spending and new store building in 2009.

The Ohio Department of Transportation recently completed a project on Allentown Road, widening a one-mile, two-lane stretch from Eastown Road to Cable Road into five lanes, in anticipation of retail development projected for the strip.

A separate retail development west of Wal-Mart is also in the works on nearly 200 acres of land recently annexed into the city from American Township.

In other business, council will:

• Hear from Fire Chief Mark Heffner on results from a recent civil service test for firefighters.

• Vote on applying for a grant for fire equipment.

City Council meeting

7 p.m. Monday

Council chambers, 50 Town Square

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