At Charlotte's New Walmart, a Transit Promise Unfulfilled

In late summer of 2009, after years of consideration, Walmart finished plans to build a new superstore in a run-down shopping center in East Charlotte. The city was hit hard by the 2008 crash, and municipal leaders saw the chain as both a creator of jobs and a signal that the local economy was on the rebound. They also saw it a first step toward a more livable, sustainable east side:

Well it's two and a half years later, and part of that promise has been fulfilled. The 150,000-square-foot Walmart opened in late January to much fanfare. The site created 250 local jobs, and Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx compared its societal impact to, uh, the moon landing: "This is one small step for retail, and one huge step for [east] Charlotte." No pressure there.