WASHINGTON — Walmart’s plans to close one of its three D.C. stores has some locals in the surrounding neighborhood concerned about what will come next for their community.
On Tuesday, Walmart announced it would close its location on H Street NW, near North Capitol, on March 31. The pharmacy at that location will close two weeks earlier.
The big box retailer said it decided to close the store because it did not meet the company’s “financial expectations.”
“We are grateful to the customers who have given us the privilege of serving them at our H Street location,” a Walmart statement reads. “We look forward to serving them at our other stores in the surrounding communities and on walmart.com.”
The news came as a shock to people living in and around the Walmart.
“That was devastating to me and a whole lot of people I know,” said local Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Kevin Rogers. “Devastating to this community.”
Rogers, who lives one block away from the Walmart said the site had more affordable prices than its competitors in the area.
He added it also served populations in need.
“We have a lot of people with disabilities who depend on that Walmart because it’s such a short distance to go,” he said.
Rogers’ fellow Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Rachelle Nigro said the store was also convenient to many seniors living around the North Capitol area.
“They rely a lot on the pharmacy there,” she said.
D.C. has had a history with Walmart that has included many twists and turns.
In 2010, the Arkansas-based company announced plans to open four locations in the District. One year later, it then revealed it would add an extra two.
However, that vision was never realized.
D.C. would only end up getting three Walmart locations.
Matters would get financially complicated, too, when Walmart chose to back out of plans to build a store at what would become the Skyland shopping center in Southeast D.C.
D.C. offered more than $40 million in tax incremented financing to develop Skyland, around a Walmart, according to a court document provided by former D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine’s office.
Lidl would eventually take Walmart’s place in Skyland. However, Walmart and D.C. ultimately agreed to a settlement where the business would pay the local government $1.3 million for past events regarding Skyland.
The District’s Office of the Deputy Mayor of Planning and Economic Development released a statement in response to Walmart’s decision on Monday.
“While there will be setbacks along the way, food equity remains a priority, and that’s why Mayor Bowser created tools like the Food Access Fund and why we will continue to engage with grocers to fill any gaps,” the statement read.
According to the District, there was no active TIF agreement pertaining to Walmart’s H Street NW location.
Either way, Nigro said she hopes another business will take its place in the neighborhood soon.
“I just hope that there’s another viable retailer, sooner rather than later, in that space,” she said.