City to pay $200,000 for Wal-Mart improvements

Carson City expects to pay $200,000 for road improvements to accommodate a new Wal-Mart Supercenter.

City supervisors will consider a deal Thursday that would obligate the transportation dollars as part of an agreement with the retail giant.

Under the agreement, the city would pay its share of the $1.2 million road improvements required to accommodate the extra traffic drawn to the supercenter.

The city already has agreed to close a section of Hot Springs Road from Roop Street to East College Parkway to provide access for customers shopping at the 200,000-square-foot store.

"The developer came to us with the proposal based on the percentage of traffic generated from their site as opposed to existing traffic," said John Flansberg, city transportation manager.

After studying traffic flow at Hot Springs Road and East College Parkway, engineers identified changes the city and state needed to make at the intersections to allow traffic flow into the new shopping center.

Those improvements include widening College Parkway to accommodate dual left-turn lanes at Roop Street and College, and moving the traffic light at the intersection of Hot Springs Road and Roop Street 150 feet south along Roop Street to allow traffic to drive directly into the center.

State freeway project contractors already had planned to widen College Parkway, but not as wide as the city needed, Flansberg said. The contractor, Ames Construction, will build the improvements and expects to start in June or the beginning of July.

"(Wal-Mart) does want to move fairly quickly on it," Flansberg said.

Wal-Mart expects to break ground at the 26-acre site this summer and take from nine to 12 months to complete the store, allowing it to open in spring 2005. The store will operate 24 hours a day and offer 36 general-merchandise departments and a full-service grocery.

Company officials predict it will generate at least $500,000 in retail tax revenue for the city each year.

Regional Transportation commissioners are expected to consider funding the city's portion with transportation funds in May, giving final approval for the project.

Contact Jill Lufrano at jlufrano@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1217.