South Boynton Walmart Opens, Providing More than 200 Local Jobs
A cheer rang out from the throng in the new parking lot of the new store.
“W! A! L! M! A! R! T!”
Corporate types and city leaders beamed as giant white scissors cut the ribbon Wednesday morning at the new 24-hour Walmart Supercenter.
Most inspiring: customers already waiting to get in, five blue and white register lights quickly going on, and especially the folks in blue cloth vests and name tags.
“Jobs. That’s all you hear them talking about is jobs,” Palm Beach County Commissioner Priscilla Taylor smiled.
“Absolutely. That was a selling point,” city commissioner Woodrow Hay said. He said he made sure Walmart’s pitch had included promises of local hires. In fact, he said, all but 22 of 250 were local.
The city commission had given the go-ahead in February 2010 for the 93,755-square-foot discount retail and grocery store at 3625 South Federal Highway, at Gulfstream Boulevard, just north of the Boynton Beach-Delray Beach line. The Community Redevelopment Agency helped with financing. [Read full story]