Alan Ray (Guest Host): The San Diego City Council is about to vote on limitations on the size of what are commonly called "big-box" stores. Costco qualifies. But the store in question is Wal-Mart , which wants to build a store that covers about 195,000 square feet. The average store in San Diego covers about half that square footage.
So, what's up? Well, there's always the belief that bigger is better.
Maybe for Wal-Mart, but what about San Diego? And what's the real "play" behind the Wal-Mart move to a bigger store footprint? Is it perhaps a plan to add groceries at exactly the time when the "big three" grocery chains in Southern California are trying to settle on a new contract with the employers citing the Wal-Mart grocery boogeyman as part of their excuse for their need to limit benefits?
The San Diego City Council will vote on the big-box retail ordinance today at 2 p.m. in the Council Chambers of the City Administration Building in downtown San Diego.
Guest
- Matthew T. Hall, staff reporter for the San Diego Union-Tribune who covers City Hall issues .
