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The hours of a proposed Walmart Supercenter in Yaphank have been scaled back from a 24-hour operation following concerns raised by residents, according to a Facebook post by Councilman Michael Loguercio.
Following several community meetings with the residents who live near The Boulevard at Yaphank, a multi-use property currently under construction just north of the Long Island Expressway off William Floyd Parkway, Loguercio, who represents the area, said he met with executives from both Walmart and the developer of the The Boulevard, Yonkers-based AVR Realty.
The post said Loguecio “strongly expressed the concerns of the residents as well as his, with regard to the ‘24 hour’ operation. After a robust discussion, Councilman Loguercio is proud to announce that the proposed Super Walmart, WILL NOT be 24 hours, it will have normal business hours.”
The 197,000-square-foot Walmart Supercenter would have a full-service grocery store, online grocery pickup, pharmacy and auto care center, a Walmart official told Newsday in February. It would be the anchor retail tenant of a 322-acre development called The Boulevard. Luxury homes, an assisted-living facility and a hotel are currently under construction.
A message to an AVR spokesman was immediately returned.
Walmart spokesman Phillip Keene said the company is in “an open dialogue on plans for the store. As in other cases in the past, we’ve been open to making adjustments to hours based on feedback from city officials. We have many non-24 Supercenters across the country.”
“I take every concern that any resident in my district has to heart, and as their representative, it is my duty to try to make sure that any proposal or development doesn’t negatively impact their quality of life in our community,” Loguercio said via the post. “Thank you to Walmart and the developers from the Boulevard, for working with us [sic] and the community, to be a good neighbor.”
Assuming it takes the normal amount of time to obtain permits, get planning board site plan approvals and complete construction, Loguercio said the store could open within two years.
