I think Richmond is overrun by chains already and Carytown is one of the last places here where local independent stores can flourish. I say put it somewhere else, but that's just my $.02.
That would drive me nuts. I live in Byrd Park and do 95% of my shopping in Carytown. Adding a Walmart would not only increase traffic thats already bad, but it would ruin the charm of this part of the city.
I don't think there is a large enough section of Carytown to put a Walmart in. Now I wouldn't mind a Whole Foods or Trader Joes in Carytown. Other thing I think Carytown could use is a fresh seafood market like Yellow Umbrella.
I just don't see them going in there, especially not with a grocery department. Martin's and Kroger already serve the vast majority of residents in the neighborhood and offer reasonable value.
Rules for those of us who live in the city but don't have a car and rely on the bus for transportation. I already do most my grocery shopping at walmart anyway, just sucks since I normally have to wait for a room mate to be going there or go all the way to the one on Forest Hill which takes like 45 minutes on the bus from Church Hill.
It would take Wahlgreen's, CVS, or Ukrops/Martins going out of business there. Those are the only lots big enough....
But like somebody said, Walmart is a big, soul-less roach magnet, and even though Carytown is almost sickeningly "cutesy", it's nice that it's mostly local shoppes....
Let's face it with a WalMart in Carytown we would find it very overrun & crowded! And it can be overly busy on the weekends as it is! Another problem is you start taking away the historic value once you go this direction. If they want to put it in on Cary St. down at the old GRTC Location (just outside of Carytown) then that is a different story!! In that location it could possibly help bring that area up to some higher standard, which is already starting to happen with some of the renovations going on.