Plans for Walmart Supercenter at former Holyoke Kmart site move forward

The future of the former Kmart site in Holyoke is moving closer to becoming a reality. The city's planning board is set to review plans for a proposed Walmart Supercenter during a public hearing tonight. According to plans submitted to the city, the vacant Kmart building on North Hampton Street would be demolished and replaced with a nearly 185,000 square foot Walmart Supercenter. The proposed store would feature grocery and retail sales, a garden center, drive-thru pharmacy and online pickup service. Board members discussed potential concerns, including the location being across the street from the Holyoke Community Charter School, as well as pedestrian routes and street lighting. The big picture is we're taking an eyesore and making it a destination, adding new jobs and stronger tax base. So we're hoping that it sparks the rest of the plaza and serves as a catalyst for continued development of the Holyoke Shopping Center, bringing it back to what it once was. Plans call for nearly 700 parking spaces, including electric vehicle charging spots and designated online pickup spaces. Members of the planning board said on the meeting they would like to take a visit to the site, seeing it in person before moving the project forward. The visit is scheduled for Monday, November 16th at 8 in the morning. Their next Zoom meeting with the public is December 1st.