Wal-Mart plans West Mifflin super center

The Wal-Mart in West Mifflin soon may be replaced by an $8 million Wal-Mart Super Center.

H.F. Lenz Co., of Johnstown, developers of the proposed store, have submitted preliminary site plans for the 219,622-square-foot building to be built on a 31.4-acre site not far from where the current Wal-Mart was built about 10 years ago. The proposed store is expected to be opened by the end of the year.

Dennis Butler, borough code enforcement officer, said he expects the developer to have the final plans ready for the planning commission's review at its April 1 meeting scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the borough building, 3000 Lebanon Church Road.

Butler said he and Craig McDivett, fire code official and emergency management director, asked that only a few changes be made to the current site plans. Those changes include a traffic study, larger entrance ways to accommodate emergency vehicles and an eighth fire hydrant.

The developer also has to adhere to height restrictions because of the proximity of the Allegheny County Airport.

The proposed store will have 11,000 parking spaces and will include a tented outdoor nursery such as the current store.

Joe Ball, manager of the West Mifflin Wal-Mart, said the main difference between the current 120,000-square-foot store, located on Century Drive, and the new store is that the new one will include a grocery.

"It looks like a regular Wal-Mart, but on one side there will be a grocery store," Ball said "It's one-stop shopping."