Community Corner
New Walmart Slated to Open in 2012 at Former Dulles Expo Hall
New Walmart will rise from remains of the old exhibition hall.
Construction crews have gutted the inside of the old north hall of the as they retrofit the massive exposition building for – to open its doors sometime early next year.
Walmart took possession of the building in March after purchasing it for $14 million from the Pence Group, a developer in McLean, records show. Over the past several months, demolition crews have scrapped clean the inside of the old North Hall — one of two buildings that make up the expo center complex along Route 28 near Willard Road. Interior work is to start soon.
Walmart officials told county representatives they plan to have the building open early in 2012, said Sully District Supervisor Michael Frey. They will not have to petition the county for a zoning change for the retail facility, but they have obtained a number of building permits for the remodeling project, Frey said.
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“They are looking at a pretty substantial interior build-out, which can take some time,” Frey said.
Merchants in the area—particularly the cluster of fast-food restaurants that line the entrance to the Expo Center—hope that the move will increase foot traffic, Frey said. “The old center was a pretty good draw on the weekend, but the store should give them a steady stream of customers seven days a week,” Frey said.
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Walmart officials, who could not be reached for comment for this story, that the new store will provide 200-300 new jobs to the community, span 110,000 square feet and have a 5,000-square-foot garden center. It will also likely attract a number of shoppers in Centreville and Chantilly who previously drove to Fair Lakes or Manassas for the closest Walmart.
Although the North Hall is being retrofitted into a retail store, the Dulles Expo & Conference Center won’t be going away anytime soon, Frey said. Conference center officials have filed plans with the county detailing a potential remodeling plan for the South Hall that would expand it from 180,000 square feet to 230,000 square feet, making it more attractive to shows and exhibitions, Frey said.
