Walmart Looks to Build $1.6-Billion Fulfillment Center in Town of Wallkill
A map of the project site for the 1.5-million-square-foot Walmart fulfillment center in the Town of Wallkill.
TOWN OF WALLKILL, NY—In what is likely one of the largest private investment projects in Orange County history, mega retailer Walmart has unveiled plans to build a 1.5-million-square-foot fulfillment center here.
Walmart officially presented its plans before the Town of Wallkill Planning Board on Aug. 5 for the project to be built off of Route 17K and Stone School House Road near the Orange County border with Sullivan County.
Mid-Hudson News reports that the project is estimated to cost $1.6 billion to develop and could employ up to 1,500 workers when completed. Town of Wallkill Supervisor Frank DenDanto reportedly supports the project. “Certainly, we are interested in that $60,000 to $70,000 price point for employment, and certainly the employment number at 1,000, that would be a very big win for the town. I can’t speak more positively to the amount of ratable influx that would come into the town. It could easily, on its own, fix the town’s financial situation,” he told Mid-Hudson News.
Discussions concerning the project, which would be built on property owned by Walmart, began much earlier this year. CONSTRUCTION NEWS reported on July 14 that Walmart had held discussions with the Town of Wallkill, as well as with local building trades and economic development officials in connection with the project.
George C. Duke, an attorney representing Walmart Stores Inc. in a May 18th letter to the Town of Wallkill Planning Board submitted Walmart’s site plan review application for the project that calls for a 1.5-million-square-foot warehouse/distribution facility. The letter noted that the Town of Wallkill had a moratorium on warehouse development projects with some exclusions for projects that had reached certain SEQRA milestones. However, later in the month the Town of Wallkill lifted the multi-year warehouse moratorium.
According to documents filed with the Town of Wallkill, Walmart had secured approvals for a 1.1-million-square-foot facility at the site back in 2003, but those approvals lapsed. The current plan, now calls for a 1.5-millon-square-foot facility. Jason A. Pitingaro, PE Engineer for the Town of Wallkill, stated back in April during a Planning Board workshop that the building height as proposed is 80 feet. The site will not be a last mile facility and will serve stores and the retailer’s other last mile facilities.
Walmart confirmed its interest in the Wallkill site, stating: “We're in the very early stages of evaluating this opportunity and appreciate the opportunity to work with local and county leaders. We don't have any additional information to share at this time.”
Walmart representatives made a presentation exclusively to the town’s Planning Board on June 17. The Planning Board took no action on the Walmart proposal.
Conor Eckert, President and CEO of the Orange County Partnership, said, “The process remains in its early stages as the company evaluates a potential project in the market. We’re pleased to support the preliminary site selection process”
L. Todd Diorio, president of the Hudson Valley Building & Construction Trades Council, said that the building trades have held several productive meetings with Walmart representatives and that the retailer has committed to signing a Project Labor Agreement if the project moves forwards. Mr. Diorio added that the building trades stand ready to support the project in its approval process.
The project also calls for a gated parking area with an emergency connection and includes 1,215 associate parking spaces and 1,050 truck spaces. The project would be built on a 9.3-acre parcel owned by Walmart, which also owns an additional 127 adjoining acres.
Other facets of the project will include a generator and battery storage for the facility’s automation, a wastewater treatment plant and water tanks for fire prevention.
