The retailer said the development would create about 300 jobs.
View full sizeWal-Mart's proposal for a new Supercenter in Lehigh Township calls for a 120,000-square-foot building. Wal-Mart wants to build a new 120,000-square-foot Supercenter on a tract off Route 145 and Birch Drive in Lehigh Township, just south of Walnutport, the retailer confirmed this afternoon.
The development would create an estimated 300 jobs that pay an average hourly wage of $12.62, according to William Wertz, a spokesman for the Arkansas-based retailer.
“The site for the store is zoned commercial and Wal-Mart will be working with the county and the township on plans,” Wertz wrote in an email.
Efforts to reach township officials were unsuccessful. Township Manager Alice Rehrig and zoning officer Laura Harrier did not immediately return phone calls seeking comment this afternoon.
A timeline has yet to be set and Wertz didn’t indicate how far along Wal-Mart is in the planning approval process, but he noted that after construction begins, Wal-Mart typically takes about a year to complete a Supercenter.
If it is built, the new Wal-Mart would be the first in the northwestern tier of Northampton County. Wal-Mart already operates several stores elsewhere in the region. Among the locations are Whitehall Township, Bethlehem Township, Pa., Lower Nazareth Township and Pohatcong Township.
The Supercenter being proposed in Lehigh Township falls into the largest store format with the Wal-Mart name. They’re generally open 24 hours a day and include a full range of pharmacy and grocery items, including fresh produce, meat and deli offerings, according to Wal-Mart’s website.
Wal-Mart also owns and operates Sam’s Club, a wholesale retailer with a presence in the Lehigh Valley.
Wertz billed the Lehigh Township plan as one that would benefit the community.
“We are looking forward to the opportunity to bring jobs and new affordable shopping to the area,” he said.