At long — 14 years long — last, opening date is set for new Ceres Walmart Supercenter
And just like that, the new Walmart Supercenter being constructed in Ceres has an opening date.
Of course the “that” in this case encompasses 14 years, one prolonged legal battle and a global pandemic. But, you know, who’s counting?
The newest Stanislaus County site for the big-box retail giant is set to open at the corner of Mitchell and Service roads Nov. 17. The store will replace the existing Walmart farther north on Mitchell Road, near the intersection of Hatch Road, that has been open in Ceres since 1993.
The long, long, long road to opening day for the new Walmart Supercenter started in 2007 when the retail giant announced plans for construction on the southern edge of Ceres. The new store would be the anchor to the new 300,000-square-foot Mitchell Ranch Center at the then largely undeveloped area around the Highway 99 exit.
But after the Ceres City Council approved the project in 2011, a citizens group objected and sued the city and the Walmart corporation, which launched a three-year legal battle against the development. The group ultimately lost in court, and in 2014, the project had the green light to go ahead again, though an appeal of the decision kept the project in the courts for another about two years before Walmart ultimately prevailed.
After entitlements and other legal issues were sorted out, the city had to complete some road and intersection improvements before work could begin on the center. Then in December, work on the new ground-up construction for the store started in earnest.
The new Walmart increases the store’s footprint in Ceres from its existing 124,000 square feet to 187,000 square feet. Lauren Willis, a spokeswoman for Walmart, said the new store will include several enhancements from the current site, including more grocery and produce options.
Other new features include an online grocery pickup system, deli, bakery, pharmacy with drive-up system and money center. The new Walmart Supercenter also will have eight staffed checkout registers and 26 self-checkout stations.
All of the current employees at the old Ceres Walmart, including three who’ve been there since it opened, will be transferred to the new location. The company also plans to hire 175 more workers to staff the site.
The old site will be vacated once the new Walmart opens, and Willis said the building is being marketed as for sale. Walmart will continue to maintain the site once it’s empty, per its agreement with the city.
On the 17th, opening day, there will be a ribbon cutting ceremony with city dignitaries present.
The pending arrival of the new Walmart already has attracted some high-profile neighbors to the intersection. Earlier this year, it was announced that an In-N-Out Burger will be built across from the new supercenter in the also new Gateway Center on the southwest corner of Service and Mitchell.
Work on the new Walmart structure has continued apace through the year, and the company’s signs recently were installed as a welcome herald for shoppers that, after all these years, it’s really happening.
This story was originally published November 4, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
