Eastvale municipality leaders have approved the development of a Walmart supercenter.

By Marissa Mitchell

Eastvale – A new Wal-Mart Supercenter will be built in the city of Eastvale, as ratified by city council members. The Supercenter at large will feature Walmart and other stores, bearing the name “Eastvale Crossings”

On April 26, the project was unanimously approved for building. It will be built on the southeast corner of Limonite and Archibald. In the center covering over 25 acres, the Walmart itself will be approximately 192,000 square feet and include a gas station. Subsequent developments on other parcels of land will be subject to city and Planning Commission review, according to City Manager Michele Nissen.

Per city planning documents, the project will also feature a drive-through pharmacy for Eastvale residents. Time frame for construction, however, has yet to be determined.

Walmart spokeswoman Delia Garcia stated by phone, “The approval is the first step. We’re very early in the process here.”

The planning project is projected to serve not just Eastvale but also the surrounding communities, including Ontario, Chino, Norco, and Jurupa Valley, said officials.

Garcia added, “We know that many of our customers are already shopping at other Wal-Marts in Chino and Corona, and this will be a convenience to our Eastvale customers, but we’ll also serve a broader area.”

This novel Wal-Mart supercenter is expected to garner around $375,000 a year in sales tax revenue for the city, Nissen stated, which will help the city overall in many ways. In general, average sales tax revenue for any Wal-Mart supercenter can range from $250,000 to $900,000 per year, so the estimate is conservative.

“Those dollars go straight into the city’s general fund,” Nissen declared. “Ultimately, it’s up to the City Council and myself to decide how those dollars are spent, but it’s based on the needs of the community.” And, as a rapidly growing community, the needs are many.

Moreover, the new center is anticipated to help ease a challenge for the city, said Brandon Plott:   “For the last six years, we’ve been able to maintain a solvent budget, but it’s been very challenging. The topic of gaining more sales tax revenue comes up and Wal-Mart brings that to the city.”

More revenue generated leads in turn to greater benefits of the community at large. Simply the project in and of itself is expected to create approximately 100 construction jobs and around 300 retail jobs for the city.

The Wal-Mart will include a full grocery department, giving citizens choices and flexibility in food shopping in and around the marketplace of Eastvale.

Plott stated, “It does bring a level of service to the city that the residents want. People can shop for something at a lower price and it brings a level of competition to the city, which is good for our local economy. I think people want to pay lower prices for products.”