Walmart plans expansion

(Editor’s note: Ben Joe was the best reporter at the Lockport Union, Sun and Journal in the last 5 years. He burned out last year and signed on as a freelance writer with Niagara Frontier Publications. This is shared without permission.)

Article and Photo by Benjamin Joe

The Walmart on Military Road in Niagara Falls is on its way to expanding by approximately 6,400 additional square feet. The renovation is meant to expand the “big box store’s” pickup area.

On Monday, the Niagara County Planning Board approved of the expansion as proposed by Matthew Vranjes of Colliers Engineering and Design.

According to Vranjes, Walmart would like to have 38 parking spaces for customers picking up their purchases.

“A lot of their sites are looking to the future at an increase of pickup use, so they’re proposing 38 at this site,” he said. “It’s to centralize their pickup operations. I think, collectively, all these types of places, when pickup started being a thing, they fit it into their existing footprint. So, now they’re really trying to centralize it to its dedicated area. It’s proposed to make things as efficient as possible.”

Niagara County Planning Board member Walt Garrow said he was not concerned about the expansion, because it did not disturb any land, and there is no basement to the pickup area’s parking spots or storage space.

“It seemed safe,” he said after voting with the rest of the board to approve the action.

The expansion will be made on the existing 202,550-square-foot building. The entire building and parking lot sits on 18.3 acres.

Mark Rickel, director of corporate communications of Walmart, responded to questions regarding the site with a short statement via email on Tuesday.

“Walmart is always looking for ways to improve its stores and meet customers where, when and how they want to shop with us. We have no information to share about future remodel plans, right now,” he wrote.