Brian Lewis
Richard Chappelle heard the rumors weeks before the actual word came.
Last February, Wal-Mart, 3300 Iowa St., announced it would expand within the next year and a half.
While the store will remain open during the renovation, some departments will close temporarily.
First to go was the automotive department, which closed April 1.
Automotive employees will still have a job Chappelle said. The employees will be assigned to seasonal departments — lawn and garden during the summer, back-to-school during late summer and Halloween until the automotive department reopens about November 1.
With the new expansion comes a need for more employees. Wal-Mart currently employs 325 people, and by the end of the expansion the store will require about 550.
“I think it will open up a lot more jobs for students,” Douglas said.
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Renovations will make the store a SuperCenter, complete with a grocery store and private businesses, which could include hair and tanning salons.
Justin Douglas, Augusta junior and customer service manager, thinks the expansion will be beneficial and said he was excited.
Because of the expansion Douglas will have less downtime. “We’ll be busier with the groceries and having over 40 registers,” Douglas, the five-year employee said.
“It was a natural expansion,” he said.
Wal-Mart will expand beyond the grocery business. There will be a bank in addition to the other private businesses, Chappelle said. The businesses will lease the space from Wal-Mart.
Wal-Mart management has been looking through lease applications but did not know exactly what businesses would be chosen, Chappelle said.
Management will look to begin hiring about February of 2006.
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