Big Box, Big Mess
Love it or loathe it, the much contested, quickly erected Wal-Mart store on the infamous Keeaumoku superblock will open on Wednesday. Sitting on a $35 million chunk of prime urban Honolulu land, the $100 million building for Wal-Mart Store #3478 (and the second-floor Sam’s Club opening Oct. 21) is said to be the most expensive Wal-Mart store ever built - and considering the company’s checkered development history, that’s saying something.
Given Wal-Mart’s past success here, and the penny-pinching island lifestyle, people just won’t be able to stay away. But if you’re not a fan of crowds and traffic, you might want to… for a little while.
With all the high taxes and cost of living issues Hawaii consumers have to face because of 40 years of wasteful, liberal fiscal policy, anything that gives the Hawaii consumer a break in their pocketbooks is most welcome. WalMart will be a huge asset for Honolulu’s urban consumers.