After years of speculation and rumors about what would happen to the empty shell of a building that used to house Ames and Grand Union, people in Wawarsing were skeptical when they heard the news.

On Friday, the Times-Herald Record published a "web exclusive" followed by a front page story on Saturday that announced the possible sale of the Napanoch Valley Mall to the world's largest retailer, Wal-Mart.

The deal between the Napanoch Valley Mall, LLC and the corporate behemoth founded by Sam Walton, is for a reported sum of about $5.5 million for the 20-acre shopping center.

Mr. Joe Tso, the managing member of the mall's ownership group, said that he has a signed agreement from Brian Hooper, the head of Wal-Mart's national real-estate management.

Mr. Tso said that he was hopeful to receive a completed contract by next week. But he did caution critics that are skeptical of the deal taking place, saying, "They [Wal-Mart] moves slow because they are so big. They have a lot of theses types of deals going on across the country."

The mechanics of the deal are said to work as follows: Wal-Mart will buy the property and sell three-quarters of an acre back to Mr. Tso to build a separate retail building. This building would be built behind the Ricke Lens diner and would house the four businesses in the current mall that have leases; these include Katherine's Korner, Napanoch Valley Wines and Liquor, Number One Chinese, and the Napanoch Post Office. The reason that Mr. Tso would own the second building is that Wal-Mart, "doesn't want to deal with them [government]. The red tape can take a long time to sort out." That "red tape" is wrapped around the Napanoch Post Office. Should the final contract be signed, Wal-Mart would have to go to the Town of Wawarsing's Planning Board and apply for a building permit. Once that was achieved, Mr. Tso said that Wal-Mart would have 90 days to complete the smaller building. If all goes well, Tso said that he anticipated having the first building completed sometime in the April or May of 2007. Once the smaller retail building was built, Wal-Mart would effectively bulldoze the current mall and build a new Supercenter facility. Mr. Tso was informed that such a facility generally employs (both part-time and full-time) about 450 people meaning that Wal-Mart would become one of the biggest employers in the town.

Of course, the current arrangement would leave out present Napanoch Valley Mall tenants like The Toolbox and longtime resident Brother John's Pizzeria, essentially making them homeless.

Local Business Impact

The forcible removing of small, locally owned businesses is just one piece of what can be described as Wal-Mart's poor public perception. Between lawsuits questioning employee practices and the constant fear that a "big box" store will kill off local businesses and ultimately harm the surrounding community, Wal-Mart has not fared well lately in documentaries and articles extolling its dangers – not its virtues.

Dick Peters, who has owned and operated Peters' Market for 35 years, offered his perspective on what would be his next competitor. Having weathered the arrival of ShopRite several years ago, it would appear he knows something about competing with retail chains.

First, Mr. Peters explained that he was approached to move to the Napanoch Valley Mall a few years ago but declined the offer. "I didn't think a supermarket or Wal-Mart would go there. I guess I was wrong."

Mr. Peters has weathered five competitors in his 35 years in business; from the A&P to Great American to ShopRite to (possibly) WalMart. "I have a vision of what I want to be. I was impressed with and appreciated the people who stayed with me when ShopRite came.

But Mr. Peters says that Wal-Mart can be beat and he explained how. In terms of groceries, "Their [Wal-Mart] specialty is name brands and low prices. You can't compete with them on that level, and you shouldn't try. But Wal-Mart can be beaten in the perishables: bakery, deli foods, and fresh produce. They can also be beaten in terms of convenience, cleanliness and customer service."

Being such a close neighbor to Wal-Mart doesn't bother Dick Peters either. He prefers it that way. "If I was on the other side of Ellenville, it could be worse. If people are driving by to go there, chances are, there will be more traffic coming here."

One person who is excited at the prospect of Wal-Mart coming to Wawarsing is the owner of Napanoch Valley Wines and Liquors, Bella Volchick. "I can't tell you how happy I am. Five years has been a long time to wait. But I hope I see that there is a light at the end of the tunnel."

Mrs. Volchick, who will be included in the proposed smaller building advises other businesses that feel threatened to, "use Wal-Mart customers to your advantage."

Reactions by other Wawarsing residents was mixed, their responses ranging from skeptical that the agreement would go through, to skeptical as to whether it will be a benefit for the community.

One individual argued that the normal attacks on Wal-Mart, that it damages small businesses, doesn't really apply in Ellenville or Wawarsing due to the fact that the retail base is so small. "If you look up and down Center Street, Main Street or Canal Street what are the businesses that would be negatively affected?"

As more details become available and local officials and businesspeople digest the news of Wal-Mart's appearance, we will see.

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