TELL US: Do You Want a Walmart in Medford?
Meadow Glen Mall is reportedly being eyed as a possible Walmart location in Medford.
Last Friday, a reader on our Facebook page suggested we pose a specific question to all of our readers and we thought it was a great idea.
Earlier this month, we shared a Boston Herald report about potential re-development of the Meadow Glen Mall that could see significant renovations to the Mystic Valley Parkway shopping center. The mall's anchor stores include Kohl's and Marshalls.
In the report, it was stated that Walmart may be eyeing the site after plans to open in Somerville and Watertown were dropped in 2012.
Walmart had designs to open a location in Assembly Square in Somerville but upon announcing in June 2012 they were abandoning those plans the company said they were continuing "to seek growth opportunities in Massachusetts."
Is a Walmart in Medford something you'd like to see? Post your thoughts in the comment section below.
Fitzy
2:09 pm on Monday, January 28, 2013
I'd like a Walmart but without the "people of Walmart" if you know what I mean!
raymay
2:33 pm on Monday, January 28, 2013
God, no. No Walmart, please.
Peter Brady
2:57 pm on Monday, January 28, 2013
No thank you, I think we have enogh stores/malls in this area already.
PB
Tom Ahern
4:16 pm on Monday, January 28, 2013
would be the best this to happen to medford,,,
Josh Wardell
7:02 pm on Monday, January 28, 2013
Absolutely not. Brings in trash, drives out the good businesses.
alxslz
9:06 pm on Monday, January 28, 2013
This would be the worst thing that happened to Medford since the plague of the Dunkin' Donuts
mary
12:56 pm on Friday, February 1, 2013
Yes
Joanne
11:25 am on Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Yes Yes yes I like Walmart and find it difficult to get to most. stores. If not wallmart what little stores would be put there if any. Were losing them right and left. Pritty soon ou will only be able to shop if you have loods of money and are lucky to find bargans somewhere. I say a resounding YES
Kevin C
1:22 am on Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Yes. People will vote with their feet and dollars in favor of it, and everyone here knows it. The question for opponents is, on what basis (for what beneficial purpose?) would you deny people the opportunity to shop at Walmart?
John Shayeb
7:46 pm on Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Walmart is not a good employer for our community. This is a multibillion dollar company that often offers a low amount of hours to its employees; the tax payers like you and me are forced to pay for its employee’s health insurance.
Walmart also keeps communities in poverty by offering low wages to its employees. They can also impact small business by them not being able to compete and putting these stores out of business. And don’t forget the amount of extra traffic it will bring to Medford for us to sit in.
Kevin C
11:04 pm on Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Walmart offers low wages, sure, but nobody is being "kept in poverty" by them. Every person who works at Walmart is taking the job there because it was better than anything else they had as an option. Every person who works there is trading up from something, not down. I also expect a lot of the people who shop there to *walk* there, not drive--a huge service to those in that part of Medford who are without cars.
Clayton Novak
10:35 am on Thursday, January 31, 2013
Walmart offers VERY few full time jobs so they often offer no benefits to thier employees which means the tax payers end up footing the bill for MassHealth and Connector subsidized insurance. They pay poverty level wages in spite of being one of the wealthiest and most profitable corporations on the planet. Walmart destroys their competition in EVERY community into which they come. Locally owned mom and pop stores cannot compete with the artificially low prices at Walmart stores and thus are forced out of business. These are small businesses that would reinvest most or all of their profits back into the community of Medford. Walmart's profits will not stay in Medford...they will instead go to making the Walton family even more disgustingly wealthy while UNDENIABLY harming the community I call home. Walmart is a destroyer of communities and their low prices do not come even close to offsetting the amount of damage they do to the communities they invade. We could also spend a fair amount of time discussing the fact that almost NOTHING sold at Walmart is made in the USA. Walmart does more good for the Chinese economy than our own. And Kevin C...you have no basis for your opinion about how people get to Walmart...the vast majority of people who shop there drive there. NO WALMART IN MEDFORD...not now...not ever! Bring on the fight...we'll be ready!
Stephanie FordMyers
10:54 am on Thursday, March 7, 2013
John Shayeb! Please contact Stephanie Ford from SEIU days in TN at stephanie.of.the.sun@gmail.com ~I am in agreement with you about Walmart. Although I'm not in Medford, Decatur, GA has seen an increased interest in Walmart-related issues. Stores that close and permit new Super-Walmart constructions within a 5 mile radius, leave a tremendous hole in the community ~particularly when there is no future plan of action for the first location. Of course, it is up to the neighborhoods to show out and vote for what they want to happen in their areas, but so often, not enough people attend the county meetings to dispute construction of the sprawling centers.
Mary Lou Ogonowsky-Keane
9:27 pm on Wednesday, January 30, 2013
With all the talk about a Casino right off Rt 16, what do you think the traffic situation will be?? How about Assembly Sq. putting up over 2000 housing units to add to the traffic at Wellington Circle??? Now we will have a Wallmart. I definitely like the idea of a Wallmart to add to the traffic problems. Why not??? Assembly Sq. is going to put in all high end stores, so it probably would be nice to shop somewhere not so expensive. This project will bring tax dollars into Medford. The other two projects, won't bring in any money to benefit Medford. Everett and Somerville will cause a traffic jam that won't benefit us at all, so why not get our piece of the pie. Welcome Walmart!!!!!!
Antoinette O'Neil
3:40 pm on Monday, February 11, 2013
Definitely NO on Walmart, they are an evil corporation that purposely doesn't give their employees full time hours so they do not need to provide them with health care in fact part of their orientation to new employees is showing them how to apply for gov't help. I think this is a terrible idea, NO No NO thank you to walmart and their evil ways!!! Also think about it the next time you get a shirt for say $3 from Walmart that shirt was made in a sweat shop with a 5 year old child being paid close to nothing, that;s how you get your great deals, disgusting!
Kevin C
4:19 pm on Monday, February 11, 2013
Sweatshops are a tough issue. What makes them tough is that as awful as life in the sweatshop appears to us, the reality is that they are located in places that don't support farm jobs or education, so the most likely alternatives to garment-making are starvation, forced marriage, and prostitution. As long as the labor isn't forced, people are choosing to work in the sweatshops because they are better than anything else they got going.
Elisa Toledo
4:38 pm on Wednesday, February 20, 2013
I do not endorse Walmart. Their corporate values re. Equal pay, competitive pay structure,equal employment opportunity, health benefits, etc. are way behind the times. I would not shop at a Walmart. I hope they do not come to Medford. I can think of other retailers that would bring a lot more value to our city ie. JcPenny.
Cheryl Delafano
7:53 am on Tuesday, February 26, 2013
I HAVE TO SAY THAT THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE WHO PROFILE THAN NOT! I THINK IT IS A GREAT IDEA. I AM AN UPSTANDING CITIZEN AND WOULD LOVE TO SHOP AT A WALMART CLOSER THAN LYNN OR READING. BRING IT ON!