Wal-Mart scouts for Spanish Springs site

Wal-Mart continues to scout the Spanish Springs area for a store location as a construction program gives the big retailer a solid presence in other corners of the city.

The company doesn't have any firm plans in the far northeastern reaches of the Reno-Sparks area, but it recognizes the need to cover that area better, said Amy Hill, a Wal-Mart spokeswoman.

Hill said last week that Wal-Mart is about a month away from pulling a building permit for its next store in the Reno market a 205,000-square-foot Supercenter along McCarran Boulevard between Mae Anne and 7th Street in northwest Reno.

The company's Supercenters combine a traditional Walmart discount house with a fullblown grocery store.

That store, delayed for resolution of a legal challenge filed by the city government, is expected to open in late 2003 or early 2004.

At the same time,Wal-Mart will be working on expansion of its Kietzke Lane store in south Reno.

About 63,000 square feet of selling space will be added to that store, creating a 208,994-square-foot Supercenter next door to the Sam's Club store that Wal-Mart opened late last year.

Hill said the work on the store at 4855 Kietzke Lane is expected to be finished this autumn.

Although the expansion involves work on both sides of the existing building, the only big disruption will be temporary closure of the store's tire and lube operation.

"We try to keep the inconvenience to our customers at an absolute minimum," Hill said.

Wal-Mart nailed down its position in the Damonte Ranch and Double Diamond area with the Supercenter it opened in September 2001 at Damonte Ranch Road and South Virginia.

The company also operates a store at 2863 Northtowne Lane.

Hill said that store is a good performer, and no expansion is planned or possible at the location.

Nationally,Wal-Mart plans to open between 200 and 210 new Supercenters and 45 to 50 new discount centers during the next 12 months.

About 140 of the Supercenters will be expanded discount centers projects similar the work on Kietzke Lane.