The Wal Mart on St. James Street West rumour

A longstanding persistent rumour that would see 170,000 square feet on St. James Street West transformed into a Wal-Mart has rearisen thanks to two recent commecial closures on the land, largely controled by businessman Peter Sergakis. A Dollar store is closing at the end of this month and the Picasso restaurant shut down a few weeks back.

Sergakis tells Coolopolis that the story is simply untrue. He says the Dollar Store will be transformed into an extension of PJ's, which is already very large and sometimes very full. The Amazones seems to be thriving. He says he will personally reopen the Picasso eatery within a few months. Sergakis says he's part owner of the Super C. It's doubtful that he could snap his fingers and evict the drab discount grocery store.

There are 318 Wal Marts in Canada whereas the US is home to 4,259, so we have a lower proportion of such stores given the roughly 10:1 population ratios of the countries. The typical Wal Mart measures from 51,000 to 224,000 square feet, wheras the Wal Mart Supercenters, which also sell groceries and electronics - and that's the rumoured vocation for the would-be NDG Wal-Mart - measure from 98,000 to 261,000 square feet. If all were razed, the land could accomodate such a store with parking.

The already-crazy-busy intersection at St. James and Cavendish would be further aggravated by Northbound wheeled consumers. Such a store might attract much negative attention but it could also put the feet to the fire of such stores as Best Buy who has a confortable duopoly with its sister store Futureshop.

Wal Mart has withstood a serious challenge by Target and registered a $6 billion profit in 2008.