A unanimous vote Thursday by the City Council’s Zoning Committee gave a green light for Walmart to move forward with anchoring the Pullman Park Development project.
A unanimous vote Thursday by the City Council’s Zoning Committee has paved the way for the nation’s largest retailer to expand throughout Chicago. The full City Council is expected to vote on the measure at its June 30 meeting and Ald. Anthony Beale (9) predicts it will pass. “This the beginning of a new era. I am filled with joy,” Beale told the Defender. “This is not just about the ninth ward but all of Chicago. Today’s vote of confidence by the Zoning Committee gives my people hope.” If the City Council approves the measure Walmart would anchor the proposed Pullman Park development on the Far South Side that Beale said would include another big box retailer, new affordable homes, a hotel, a school, and other smaller businesses along the Bishop Ford Expressway at 111th Street. The only Chicago Walmart is on the West Side, which opened in 2006, and since then has been an economic boom to the community, said Ald. Emma Mitts (37). But organize labor unions had previously opposed Walmart building more stores in Chicago largely because of differences with wages, benefits and union input. Chicago Federation of Labor President Dennis Gannon said after meeting with Walmart officials, it now supports a second store on the South Side. “The community needs jobs and we need to eliminate the food desserts that exist in Chicago,” Gannon said at a City Hall news conference. “While we support a Walmart store at Pullman Park we will evaluate each store on a case by case basis. And as long as they live up to their end of the deal we will not object to more stores.” According to Gannon, Walmart has agreed to pay a starting hourly wage of $8.75 for employees at the Pullman Park store and then and a merit increase of 40 cents to 60 cents after a year. However, Walmart officials would not verify the starting hourly wage at the proposed Pullman Park development but did say it plans to pay competitive wages just as it does for all its employees. “Our employees are well treated and well paid at all our stores,” Steven Restivo, director of Community Affairs for Walmart, told the Defender. “Over the next five years we hope to build a dozen or so stores throughout Chicago starting with one on the South Side.” Copyright 2010 Chicago Defender
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