Low Prices. High Crime. That’s how a petition for stopping a new Walmart that’s planned for The Pavilion at Durbin Park starts. The Pavilion is under construction near Racetrack Road near I-95.
The petition cites articles from Time, Bloomberg, and The Huffington Post that show Walmart attracts criminals to the stores surrounding areas.
“This petition is to stop Walmart from going into Durbin Creek. While none of us can tell the future, what we do know is that based on studies and facts conducted in the past, Walmart, who touts its low prices, brings with it high crime.” The petition says.
The petition was started by a local woman.
She also says she wants to stop the Walmart because of how the company treats their employees.
The pavilion is scheduled to have Walmart, Home Depot, Ross, Petco, Bass Pro Shops, and a Gate within the development.
The developer of the Pavilion at Durbin Park says Walmart will still go in weather people like it or not.
“It is crying for retail. There is no retail once you leave Old St. Augustine Road all the way down to St. Augustine there’s basically no services for the consumer.” Says Frank Gatlin, CEO of the company developing the pavilion.
Gatlin says the Walmart will attract people from all over northern St. Johns County, an area that typically doesn’t see a lot of crime.
"I strongly emphasize Walmart does not bring crime, it brings people that are in its trade area. That trade area is St. Johns County. That area is not a high crime area." Gatlin says.
According to Gatlin the Walmart project is already approved and the company expects to be granted a building permit next week.
Stores should start to open in late 2018 to early 2019.
Sign Up
