Wal-Mart reveals plans for south Springfield Sam’s

The 135,000-square-foot store will open in spring 2009, according to Wal-Mart spokeswoman Carrie Thum, and feature a fuel station, carwash, pharmacy, optical center, one-hour photo center, expanded café, and a tire and battery center.

The project’s developer is Columbia-based The Kroenke Group, which with Springfield-based Ron Stenger Cos. purchased the 80-acre plot next to The Library Center on South Campbell in January 2005 with plans for a retail development. Speculation of a Wal-Mart at the site surfaced because Kroenke Group is a known Wal-Mart developer. The Kroenke Group owner Stan Kroenke is married to Ann Walton Kroenke, niece of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton.

Sam’s Club’s first Springfield location, 3660 E. Sunshine St., opened in 1987. Thum said the store’s members have expressed strong interest in a second store.

“We’ve been getting questions for about two or three years about ‘When is the second club coming?’” Thum said. “Our members there in Springfield have done such a great job supporting the club … and we’re very confident that Springfield can support a second Sam’s Club.”

A unique side to the new store will be its environmentally sustainable elements, including energy-efficient lighting in freezer cases, motion-sensor lighting on freezers and coolers, more than 200 skylights and an improved daylight-harvesting system, a closed-loop CO2 secondary refrigeration system in freezer cases and a closed-loop secondary glycol system in chilled sections, a water-reclaiming system at the carwash, and recycling services for tires, batteries, cardboard, single-use cameras, food waste, plastic waste and building materials.

While the new center is built, renovations will begin at the Sunshine store. The store will be repainted and receive new fixtures and a general upgrade in both appearance and features. Remodeling is set to begin early next year and be finished by late fall.[[In-content Ad]]