Wal-Mart Pulls Back Plans for District-Based Store

WASHINGTON, DC-Those looking forward to having a Wal-Mart right here in the District will have to wait a little while longer than expected to peruse the aisles of the discount store, now that company executives have decided against a tentative plan to set up shop at the Rhode Island Place Shopping Center in Northeast DC.

For months, local officials had been getting their hopes up high, keeping their fingers crossed that the Bentonville, AR-headquartered retailer would commit to building a 100,000-sf store at the 23-acre development in the Brentwood neighborhood. However, nothing had been written in stone, or in pen for that matter, and now the spot just across from the Rhode Island Metro Station is no longer up for consideration.

“After reviewing the site and looking at parameters–parking and overall operational needs–the site just doesn’t meet the requirements that would best serve our customers,” a Wal-Mart spokesperson tells GlobeSt.com. “We take entry into a community very seriously; we want to make the right first impression on the District.”