At last, Cedar Hills welcomes Wal-Mart

CEDAR HILLS — After lengthy negotiations and a city referendum, Wal-Mart will open its doors at 8 a.m. Wednesday.

The grand opening of the medium-sized store signifies the end of a yearlong struggle between the world's largest retailer and Cedar Hills, which held the big-box giant to high building standards and halted previous negotiations because city officials didn't like some of the store's items and store hours.

But when a majority of voters in the small Utah County city rejected a provisional 2005 city ordinance that would ban stores from operating on Sunday and selling beer, it ripened the city's commercial appeal. Wal-Mart renegotiated and broke ground on the store last spring, but not before agreeing to follow strict city codes on the store's appearance.

The list of aesthetic regulations was a somewhat easy order to fill for Wal-Mart, though, because it coincided with the corporation's recent push to improve its appearance inside and out.

The new generation of Wal-Mart stores nationwide has recently featured wider aisles, fuller lighting and greener efficiency, along with more artistic attention to its once-warehouse-style exterior.

The Cedar Hills Wal-Mart, located in the commercial district at 4689 W. Cedar Hills Drive, features an earth-tone facade, highlighted with stamped concrete. An exception to Wal-Mart's well-known flat structures, the store was built with pitched roofs, cupolas and copper flashing to fit the city's posh surroundings.

The single-entrance store that's nearly half the size as other Wal-Mart Supercenters will be the city's first commercial retailer, which will provide valuable sales-tax revenue for Cedar Hills, especially after the city moved to increase sales tax immediately after Wal-Mart broke ground.

"This project will provide needed jobs for several hundred people in the area, and the revenues it will generate for Cedar Hills will help us improve and add to the amenities we offer our citizens," Mayor Mike McGee said. "The building itself has already become a valuable asset to the community. We are very pleased with the outcome of the design and look of the building, and the beautiful landscaping has greatly enhanced our commercial district."

The new-age Supercenter also touts energy-efficient elements such as skylights that will harvest daylight and reduce the amount of energy required to light the store by up to 75 percent daily, according to Wal-Mart spokeswoman Meredith Adams at Mitchell Communications Group Inc.

As of February, Wal-Mart employed 16,501 in Utah, and the Cedar Hills Supercenter will add 300 to that list.

The Wal-Mart Foundation will present the community with $15,500 in grants during the grand opening celebration at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Associates at the Cedar Hills Supercenter selected the city to receive a $5,000 grant to build trails and improve recreational areas, in an effort to encourage healthy lifestyles. Other grants will support programs and activities at nearby schools, the Boy Scouts and the police and fire departments.

"As the newest neighbor in the community, we realize financial support to local organizations helps make a real difference," store manager Michael Kvenvold said. "We are thrilled to provide these grants as part of our grand opening celebration."

A Wal-Mart Supercenter in Hurricane will also open the same day.

E-mail: jhancock@desnews.com