After a delay of over a year and a half, Wal-Mart Superstore has finally received its building permit from the town of Scarborough.
The 212,000-square-foot building will be part of Scarborough Gallery, a development located between I-295 and Spring Street, which includes a newly opened Lowe’s store and several chain restaurants.
Problems with the soil and a lengthy permitting process were the two main causes of the delay, according to Ben Divine, a principal of KGI Properties, the developer of Scarborough Gallery. The permit was finally issued by the town Aug. 21, when officials decided the soil was ready for construction. However, depending on the weather, the foundation may not be laid until next spring.
About a year and a half ago, soil was brought in to solidify the moist ground at the site in a process called “pre-loading,” in which a mound of earth trucked to the site replicates the weight of the building. The soil then settles, compacting the ground underneath the building site by eliminating the moisture.
When brought in to create a pad for construction of large buildings like a Wal-Mart Superstore, it’s not unusual for the soil to settle between 6 inches and a foot over the period of a year. However, the soil at Scarborough Gallery site sunk more than 3 feet.
The soil has finally stopped sinking and the pre-load can be removed – a process that takes about five or six weeks, according to Assistant Code Enforcement Officer Carroll Shepard. Shepard said once that process has been completed, the developer will have to decide whether to lay the foundation before the winter, which he said is expensive to do.
The concrete needs to be warmed so it doesn’t freeze, Shepard said, and many contractors do not want to deal with the added work and expense.
Divine said the company will try to build as late into the fall as possible, with a goal of opening in June 2008. Ninety days after the opening of the new store, the existing Wal-Mart on Payne Road will shut down for good. According to Divine, no definitive plans are in place for the redevelopment of the property, but, he said, “we’re working on it.”
For now, the developer and the town are both excited to get the project under way.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Shepard said. “It’ll be a great addition to the town.”
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