A former Fiesta Supermarket in Midtown will soon be reborn as a Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market.
The scaled-down version of Wal-Mart is slated to open in December at the southeast corner of East 22nd Street and South Craycroft Road, said Terry Dahlstrom, of the real estate firm Volk Co., which handled the lease.
The former supermarket, along with several other stores in the County Fair Shopping Center have been demolished to make way for the new store, which will have about 40,000 square feet and mainly sell grocery products.
"I think it's really good for the neighborhood," Dahlstrom said about Wal-Mart's decision to be part of the project.
Dahlstrom said the deal has been in the works since the retailer abandoned plans in 2005 to add a Neighborhood Market on East Broadway near South Rosemont Boulevard. At the time, Wal-Mart was facing strong opposition from some area residents.
Tucson already has three Neighborhood Markets, according to Wal-Mart's Web site. The retailer is also eyeing a site at East River and North Craycroft roads for another Neighborhood Market, according to Andy Seleznov, director of leasing for property management firm Larsen Baker.
Wal-Mart spokeswoman Delia Garcia said she was unable to comment on whether the decision to move to the County Fair center was related to the retailer's dropping its earlier plans for a Midtown store.
Other existing tenants at the County Fair Shopping Center include Hollywood Video, Harbor Freightand Checksmart, Dahlstrom said. There are about five spaces still vacant, but Dahlstrom said he has received a considerable amount of interest after Wal-Mart signed on.
Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market is "one of your better anchors," Dahlstrom said.
"It was the spark that was needed to kind of pull this off," he said about the center's redevelopment.
Other Neighborhood Markets in Tucson
•3925 E. Grant Road
•2823 W. Valencia Road
•7951 N. Oracle Road
