- Originally published in the New York Times December 17, 2004
Copyright 2004 The New York Times Company
By JENNIFER 8. LEE
A
proposal to make Rego Park in Queens the site of the city's first
Wal-Mart has mobilized labor groups, elected officials and local
businesses in an effort to keep it away, even as some area residents
say they would welcome its famously low prices.
Wal-Mart announced last week that it is planning to build a
135,000-square-foot store in Rego Park in a parking lot located one
block off the bustling Queens Boulevard retail strip. Vornado Realty
Trust, a Manhattan commercial real estate company, controls both the
lot and a neighboring complex that already houses large stores like
Sears, Old Navy, and Bed Bath & Beyond.
Brian M. McLaughlin, president of the New York City Central Labor
Council, said that opposition to Wal-Mart is uniting businesses, labor
unions, the N.A.A.C.P., immigrant advocacy groups and religious
organizations. ''We think Wal-Mart is a thread that links us all
together,'' said Mr. McLaughlin, whose group serves as an umbrella for
1.5 million workers in New York City. ''Wal-Mart is a buzzword for
indecency.''
Wal-Mart sells everything
from electronics to clothing and has been criticized for driving local
competitors out of business, and for the modest wages it pays its
workers.
Mia Masten, a spokeswoman for
Wal-Mart, said the average Wal-Mart full-time wage in urban areas of
$10.38 an hour is twice the minimum wage in New York City.
''Looking at small business owners, they are very tenacious, very
savvy, flexible and adaptable,'' said Ms. Masten. ''In order for anyone
to survive you have to be able to service your customers.''
Ruben Cruz, manager of sales at a nearby CompUSA, said representatives
from corporate headquarters contacted him as soon as the news broke
about the proposed Wal-Mart. Mr. Cruz had to print out the proposed
site on MapQuest, color it in and fax it to headquarters. ''I'm up in
arms and preparing,'' he said.
But, as if
to underscore the varied emotions brought on by the mere mention of the
name Wal-Mart, some residents shrugged off the concerns. ''It brings
shopping, people, business, jobs,'' said David Mammina, an architect
who describes himself as unabashedly ''pro-development.''
Jon Batash, a doctor who lives and works in the area, said: ''They're
going to do well. People in this neighborhood all shop at the store
that offers the best price. They don't have that much loyalty.''
Still, Representative Anthony D. Weiner, a Democrat who represents Rego
Park, held a press conference yesterday to voice his opposition to the
proposal. ''Such purported low costs has high costs for the
community,'' he said.
Wal-Mart, which
opens about 300 stores a year, is going into urban areas to maintain
the company's growth. It recently received approval to build a store in
Chicago, and has also opened a store in Los Angeles. The company is
also moving aggressively in the New York metropolitan area, opening a
store in Secaucus, N.J., on Oct. 21 and planning to open a store in
White Plains.
The Queens Wal-Mart will be
subject to the city's months-long land-use approval process, which
includes a review by the local community board, the Queens borough
president and the City Planning Commission.