ATLANTA — After an 18-month closure due to fire damage, Walmart is reopening in Atlanta's Vine City neighborhood on Wednesday, May 22.
The major change, though, will be that this store will now be a Neighborhood Market instead of a "Supercenter," as it was before.
That means that the store will primarily provide food and pharmacy services to folks in the community.
In a release, Walmart said it plans to "further invest in the community," presenting the following donations on opening day:
- Atlanta Community Food Bank ($2,000)
- H.O.P.E. Atlanta ($2,000)
- Warrior GMR Foundation ($2,500)
- Bearstrong, Inc. ($2,000)
- H.E.Y. Atlanta ($2,000)
- Hands On Atlanta ($2,000)
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens is also expected to be in attendance to talk about the impact the location will have on the area.
While the area is not officially labeled as a "food desert," residents in Vine City have referred to the area by that term due to the lack of fresh food options available.
What happened to the Walmart?
In May 2022, the store was forced to close after a fire was set inside the building. The next day, it partially reopened the store and provided curbside pickup for its pharmacy customers until crews were able to make repairs and fully reopen this store.
Atlanta Fire and Police would be called back to the store for an intentional fire just before Christmas in 2022. On Dec. 24, the store posted on its Facebook page, "Due to unforeseen circumstances, Walmart store 3008 with be closed for the remainder of the day. All pharmacy prescriptions will be transferred to the nearest local Walmart: 1801 Howell Mill Road NW Atlanta, Georgia 30318. Sorry for the inconvenience, we look forward to serving your needs once the store is back up and running."
Just days after the post, a fire was set inside the Walmart on Howell Mill Road. Atlanta Police and Fire responded to a fire in the clothing section on Dec. 28. The store was temporarily closed. On January 13, 2023, the store posted on their Facebook page, "Good Morning Customers, 1801 Howell Mill Rd, Atlanta GA Walmart is temporarily closed. We’re sorry for any inconvenience this may cause. Please visit our Cascade location (1105 Research Center Dr, Atlanta GA) for service. Thank you!"
Walmart ultimately said the Howell Mill Road location was closing permanently.
"Unfortunately, a variety of economic headwinds existed at both stores before they were closed due to arson," a Walmart spokesperson said in a statement in January 2023.