PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Walmart has issued a response to state House of Representatives candidate Michael Bloomberg's criticism of the plan to construct a new Walmart Supercenter.

 

Bloomberg has become vocal in his opposition to using the William Stanley Business Park for the new shopping center. He believes the site should be used to bring in small manufacturing to the site.

 

Particularly, Bloomberg questioned the cost for remediation to the parcel and urged the PEDA or the state to fund the site work on its own to lower the cost for a manufacturer to locate there.

 

Walmart, however, is refuting a number of claims the candidate made when it comes to hourly wages, the definition of a food desert, and the remediation cost.  

 

Walmart's Director of Public Affairs & State and Local Government Relations Chris Buchanan says, "holding out hope for industrial development of the site does a disservice to the residents of Pittsfield."

 

He said the cost to remediate the land, fix the stormwater runoff, and road work adds up to $12 million, a cost few companies would bear when there are other properties for development at a lower cost.

 

Walmart says $12 million is for all the site work, which includes $6 million to address a stormwater issue. The rest of the plans to prepare the site include crushing and grinding the existing foundation, grading, adding a geotextile fabric, the new drainage piping, crushed stone, a vapor membrane, and a new gravel pad. In total, the company says $12 million will be spent just to get the site workable. 

 

But exactly how much of that cost is directly related to addressing contamination isn't clear. Nonetheless, any company would have to perform similar work to develop the site at this time.

 

Below is Buchanan's response to Bloomberg:

 

"In a recent interview with iBerkshires, political candidate Michael Bloomberg announced his opposition to an economic development project in Pittsfield that will revive a long-abandoned, polluted brownfield site. Waterstone Development envisions the Walmart Supercenter, which would relocate from its current Pittsfield location, to become a catalyst for future mixed use in the business park bringing hundreds of new jobs and tax revenues to the city.

 

During his interview, Mr. Bloomberg shared numerous inaccuracies about Walmart and the project and I want to set the record straight on this important issue.

 

The main problem with the site is that it's estimated to cost any developer $12 million(not $6 million) in environmental, road and storm water improvements. The Pittsfield Economic Development Agency has been marketing this site since its formation in 1998, and spending money to determine the issues that remain in the entire 52-acre park. Without Waterstone's plan, the contamination at the site will continue to dissuade development, as it has for nearly two decades.

 

When it left the site, General Electric demolished the buildings on top of the current slab but did no other remediation work. Preparing the site for future use is not just a matter of addressing stormwater runoff. The stormwater problem is just part of the overall $12 million cost of pre-development work. Based on recent history, it seems no industrial user will consider this site, especially given there are industrial properties available now for a fraction of the cost. Holding out hope for industrial development of the site does a disservice to the residents of Pittsfield.

 

At Walmart, the average hourly wage for full-time associates in Pittsfield (more than half the workforce) is $14.86 per hour. In addition, associates are eligible for health insurance,401K benefits with match, and bonuses. Our new Pathways program will provide career training to new associates to help them advance in their careers in retail with new skills and guidance.

 

Also, the site is considered a food desert under terms described by the United States Agriculture Department; that is, a low-income urban area at least one mile away from a full grocery store.

 

It should be noted that Walmart has been a major employer in Pittsfield for 22 years. More than 200 associates currently work for Walmart in the city, and we have long-established partnerships with the city's fire and police departments and the Pittsfield schools.

 

In just the past fiscal year, Walmart donated $10,000 worth of winter salt to the City of Pittsfield, $9,000 in school supplies to the schools, and provided additional support for the Police Department's DARE Program, Reach Out and Read, the Western Massachusetts Food Bank, Literacy Volunteers of Berkshire County, the Boy Scouts and Berkshire Community Action Council, among others.

 

We are very proud of our commitment to Pittsfield, and that will continue."