Thursday, May 26, 2005

City of Suisun welcomes Wal-Mart

From the American Canyon Eagle, a publication of the Napa Valley Register

Cash-strapped city looking forward to sales tax revenue
Tuesday, May 24, 2005

By MICHAEL WATERSON
Eagle News Editor


While a proposed Wal-Mart Superstore in American Canyon grinds through a lengthy political and legal battle, the retail giant is unveiling new proposals in the North Bay.

The city of Suisun last week announced plans for a mixed use project that includes 650,000 square feet of retail space to be anchored by a Wal-Mart Supercenter. The cash-strapped city hopes the tax revenues generated by retailers will provide a big boost to city services.

"Securing this project will result in much needed sales tax revenue for Suisun City to fully fund police and fire services, and to help maintain and upgrade streets, parks and other infrastructure, including our senior center and community facilities," said Mayor Jim Spering.

According to the California Retail Survey, in 2004 Suisun City lost more than 70 percent of potential sales tax revenue to other communities due to the lack of retail options in town. This project is viewed as a remedy to that problem.

The 71-acre retail center will be the first of its kind in Suisun City and will include a mix of tenants. The Gentry Project, named after the property's owner, will also dedicate 17 acres for roughly 359 single-family homes and 70 acres for open space.

The first step in the project is to annex the land, located between Highway 12 and Cordelia Road at Pennsylvania Avenue, which is currently county property.

The Suisun Wal-Mart store is the second Supercenter planned for that portion of Solano County. Last year the city of Fairfield announced plans for a Supercenter on North Texas Street, roughly three miles from the proposed Suisun store.

In December a California appeals court took the city of Bakersfield to task for approving two planne

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