Stores springing up near new Wal-Mart
By Anessa Myers
Published in News on August 1, 2007 1:45 PM
MOUNT OLIVE -- The town of Mount Olive can expect to have a few more places to eat and shop near the new Wal-Mart on N.C. 55.
More businesses are moving in, said Charles Brown, the town's manager.
Two new restaurants and a gas station are expected to appear on the Wal-Mart property.
Wendy's and Arby's restaurants are planned to join the plaza, but Arby's is still in the early stages of site planning and may not commit to Mount Olive. Murphy's Oil Co. is also in the process of making site plans for the area.
On the same property, a proposed 10,000-square-foot building will hold four or five new retail shops.
But, those are not the only new businesses moving into Mount Olive.
Plans for another 10,000-square-foot retail space comprised of three new shops are underway. The building will adjoin the Wal-Mart property. Shoe Show and Cato will be entering the town's commerical area, but there is no word yet on the third retail store.
Some land developers and businesses are looking for even bigger retail lots.
Land speculators are looking for 24 to 25 acre pieces of land for possible lumber or home improvement stores in the area, Brown said, but no names have been released on which store may be built.
Brown also said that he could only think of two stores that would fit the bill for such a big space -- Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse or Home Depot.
Other businesses are moving from one location to another that is closer to the new commercial mecca.
Advance Auto Parts is moving to the corner of Breazeale and Talton Avenues.
Wal-Mart started something with it's opening in May.
With a space of 153,000 sq. ft. west of town, the store brought a whole new level of shopping to Mount Olive.
More and more businesses are moving into the area, and the spread will only continue outward.
But, Wal-Mart and the other stores moving into the surrounding area will not hinder on the downtown shops, Mount Olive town manager Charles Brown said.
"The downtown shops are specialty shops, and they seem to do well," he said.