Providing Maricopa with a “big-box” store that may boost commercial development and giving road-weary residents a place to pick up needed retail items in the city, the new Wal-Mart Supercenter will finally open its doors Wednesday morning. A grand opening ceremony will start at 7:30 a.m. outside the store, located at Porter Road and the Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway, with the doors opening at 8 a.m. During the grand opening, companies such as Monster, Nintendo, Frito Lay, Fuse, Coppertone, Vitamin Water, Dreyer’s will be handing out free products or promotional items. There will also be a vintage delivery truck from Budweiser, a Powerade monster truck and a Coor’s race car. While the promotional items are a one-day event, assistant manager Edward Tijerina said Wal-Mart plans on some special price rollbacks for the first week the store is open. “We are going to constantly monitor prices around the area and be sure to offer the lowest-priced product to our customers,” Tijerina said. When residents enter the Wal-Mart for the first time, it may be a somewhat unfamiliar layout. The new store groups the pharmacy, food items and pet supplies all in the same area. “We are only one of three stores in the state with this new design,” Tijerina said. “It makes shopping faster and more convenient.” While the general public will have to wait until Wednesday to tour the aisles, a select few community members got to take part in an open house and grant presentation ceremony Monday, where Wal-Mart associates presented more than $15,000 in grants to community organizations like the FOR Maricopa Food Bank, Legacy Traditional School, Maricopa Chamber of Commerce, Maricopa Education Foundation and others. “We are extremely excited to be partners with Wal-Mart and will use this money to help further the education of Maricopa’s youth,” said Legacy founder Aaron Hale, whose organization received a $5,000 donation. Wendy Webb, director of the food bank, said that her organization plans on using the $5,000 it received to help fund the purchase of a refrigerated truck. “This truck will help us in the collection of frozen and chilled foods,” Webb said. FOR Maricopa will also benefit from a continuing donation of food from Wal-Mart. “They have agreed to donate all food items that are approaching or that have reached sell-by dates,” she said. The 184,103-square-foot Wal-Mart will provide 320 jobs to the community when fully staffed and is scheduled to be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. “Five weeks ago this store was empty, now it is ready to be Maricopa’s premier shopping location,” said Wal-Mart manager Suzzan Cortez. “We are extremely excited to be opening.” Photo by Michael K. Rich |