The recent Chicago City Council approval of a second Wal-Mart in the city limits is excellent news for Chicago’s commercial construction industry. History shows commercial developers do well opening new big box retail stores like Bed Bath and Beyond, Home Depot or Best Buy near Wal-Marts. New restaurant construction near the new Pullman Park Wal-Mart location should also pick up, especially in the form of fast food and fast casual restaurant construction projects. All in all, Chicago general commercial construction contractors should see an uptick in work.

But more than anything else, a new Wal-Mart in Chicago’s south side Pullman neighborhood is good for its residents. It’s also very personal to me.

Why Wal-Mart is “pulling” at my heart
There is a lot of Pullman pride in my family. My grandparents moved to the Pullman area in the early 20th Century. They were hardworking, blue collar and very proud of their heritage and neighborhood. I, too, grew up in Pullman and spent much of my youth at my grandparents for dinners and holidays.

My grandparents and mother are gone now. And while I no longer live in Pullman, my memories of these communities are frozen in time.

Why a new-construction Wal-Mart in Pullman is needed
The Pullman community has been adversely affected by high unemployment, increased crime and is lacking an overall retail environment. Forget about a large shopping center development, Pullman residents don’t even have a local grocery store. They have to travel miles to the inner city or the south suburbs to shop or buy groceries.

What a new Wal-Mart really means to Pullman residents

1. It will give them a sense of community.
2. With Wal-Mart paying employees 50 cents above minimum wage, it will provide numerous jobs, including construction jobs in Pullman.
3. It will increase the tax base of the community.
4. It will be the engine that drives the train to a community revival by drawing interest for new commercial construction projects from national chains, both corporate-owned and franchises.
5. Wal-Mart has agreed to donate $20 million to neighborhood charities.

Will there be more new-construction Wal-Marts in Chicago?
Unions, politics, retail construction. They don’t always mix – especially in Chicago. So let’s congratulate the Chicago City Council and Wal-Mart for forging this relationship and putting the people of Pullman first. Speaking in terms of commercial construction trends, this is a model in public/private partnership that I’m sure will be adopted not just in other struggling Chicago neighborhoods desperate for new commercial construction, but across the country. If it can work in Pullman, why not someplace else, too?

A Wal-Mart/Englewood Construction partnership
Of course I would love for Wal-Mart to use Englewood’s commercial construction services for the Pullman project – from both a professional and personal aspect. But if it doesn’t work out, that’s okay. What matters more is that Pullman’s residents will once again be able to experience the same community feeling my family enjoyed for so many years. Grandma and grandpa would be proud.

What are your thoughts about the new Wal-Mart in Pullman?

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