Friday, August 11, 2006

Wal-Mart Bids Saranac Lake Adieu

Wal-Mart pulls out. At least that is what the Adirondack Daily Enterprise is reporting. Wal-Mart has ended the property purchase agreements with Carcuzzi Auto Car Care Center and Tri-Lakes Auto Mall.
“We got a letter the other day saying they were terminating the agreement,” said Carcuzzi Car Care Center Bob Bevilacqua said Friday. “As far as I know, it’s off completely. They said they are cancelling their contract with us.”

Wal-Mart representatives told Bevilacqua in June that “unless the public interest changed and political climate changed, they would be terminating it,” he said.
Of course, Wal-Mart has 'left' before, let's not forget that. Bevilacqua also said
“Doug Jerum told me that if they couldn’t get into Saranac Lake that they were going to write off the Adirondacks,” he said. “He told me flat out, ‘We’re not considering going to Tupper Lake.’”

Wal-Mart....it's our way or the highway.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.

Anonymous said...

Now the real work begins...let's not stop until a retail size cap and a department store are in place...keep flying the orange ribbons.

Anonymous said...

Please give us a local store. Please Hacketts come here! The store in Potsdam is 35,000 sq ft and is beautiful.

Anonymous said...

check out the update from teh adk enterprise...as of 4:49pm:

http://www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com/News/articles.asp?articleID=3670

Anonymous said...

We must remain skeptical of Wal-Mart's claims - they are never forthright with a community as to their plans. Above comment is correct - now the real work begins. We must get something appropriate into Saranac Lake to 1) address the needs of the community and 2) truly fits in - those two issues ARE compatible. The Community Department Store has a good start but we must look at all possibilities. And you're also right: we must continue pushing for the retail cap. COMMUNITY FIRST!!
Mark Kurtz
Spokesperson
SAGA

Anonymous said...

Now we can really focus on what is right for Saranac Lake, smart, thoughtful growth. And the first Community Store in New York State! I am so happy to be a part of this amazing community.

Anonymous said...

Well, well, well. I'd like to ask WM supporters what they think of WM now that the company has (no surprise) QUIT on their supporters only one month after they held an exclusive meeting and started handing out "YES" signs! WM is a quitter and a loser and the people who worked hard supporting them should be livid as well! Do they get it yet?

Anonymous said...

Wal-Mart didn't care about the people here before; they don't care about us now; they will NEVER care about us in the future. Obviously they don't give a rat's ass about Tupper Lake either. Now we can concentrate on a workable solution that will bring us together, not divide us!

Anonymous said...

I'm sure loads of businesses will be flocking to this most attractive of locations. It just makes so much business sense to invest in such a forward thinking community.

Anonymous said...

Wanting Wal-Mart makes you a forward looking community? How is that?

Anonymous said...

As to the above comment - there may be a reasonable amount of truth to the thought that other businesses will begin looking seriously at Saranac Lake. Historically, few businesses consider a community that is under threat of Wal-Mart as many businesses just don't want to try to "compete" with the ruthless aggressiveness that Wal-Mart takes in it's business practices. Now that they (Wal-Mart) have said they aren't interested in SL, it is open once again for real businesses to consider the community.

Anonymous said...

NOT having a Wal-Mart makes us a foward thinking community. Anyway I am THRILLED Wal-Mart is gone. I only hope it is really true. They tried to get into Lake Placid in 1993. In January of 1996 the town board voted down their proposal. Please, note how long they were willing to wait and how hard Wal-Mart fought to get into Lake Placid. This is a company that will GO TO ANY LENGTHS TO GET INTO A COMMUNITY.
Shortly after Placid booted them out, they began looking here. At the public hearings in Lake Placid they said they had looked at the property across from Club 86, but they couldn't take it because it had too many wetlands. Then a few years later they were BACK LOOKING AT THAT SAME PROPERTY! And then, recently, thanks to Cliff Donaldson, we had to fight them all over again.
Wal-Mart has tried since 1993 to get into the Adirondacks. Are they FINALLY LEAVING? I sure hope so!!
But just in case, keep putting up all those orange ribbons, and keep your guard up. This is one SLEEZY company who doesn't underdand the word "no."

Anonymous said...

Actions speak louder than words. Is Wal-Mart FINALLY LEAVING the Adirondacks? We'll know if they are by their ACTIONS. And are they NOT interested in Tupper Lake? We'll know that is true by THEIR ACTIONS. If Wal-Mart is truly leaving the Adirondacks we will know because they will not TELL US they're leaving--THEY WILL LEAVE!
Is all of this GREAT NEWS? Yes! But keep putting up those orange ribbons, and keep your eyes and ears open. Wal-Mart has left us before only to come back. This company is that tricky and secretive that I wouldn't put anything at all past them.

Anonymous said...

It would be great if we could believe thisbut beware. They aren't finished trying to sneak their way in. Re-read this clip from the article: “The deal that was on the table is dead,” Serghini said. “But would we come back under future circumstances if they changed? Would we be interested? Absolutely.”
Hey, wait a minute, didn't they tell Bevilacqua something totally different?: “Doug Jerum told me that if they couldn’t get into Saranac Lake that they were going to write off the Adirondacks,” Bevilacqua said about his June conversation with Jerum. “He told me flat out, ‘We’re not considering going to Tupper Lake.’”
So, now WM lies to its supporters too. Wow, now there is someone you can trust!

Robert D Feinman said...

Even if this is true, I hope you won't stop writing about Walmart and other big box related issues in your area.

Remember Walmart is only the worst of the breed, not the only one. There is something nice when visiting the area to see a change from the strip mall America that exists elsewhere.

Keep fighting to preserve it.

Anonymous said...

Yes, let's keep the word out. We can't get complacent. That's what WM wants us to do so they can slither in under the radar again. And let's see if Rick Gonyea and Linda Piro will accept an invitation to work on the alternatives!