Share on Facebook {mosimage}What happens to an area when it's on the rise? Wal-Mart comes to town, of course. As well as other shopping centers, too. In October of 2007, Paramount Development Corporation announced it plans to build East Park Plaza. The plaza will be anchored by a 184,000-square foot Super Wal-Mart at the fast-growing intersection of Interstate 40 and Highway 42. Additional spaces and outlots will be available when the site is complete, providing more goods and services. When Wal-Mart comes to town, it creates about 400 jobs.

Some residents are not all excited about the discount giant coming to town, however. Wal-Mart recently scrapped plans to build a new store in Southeast Raleigh, raising concerns that the 40/42 store may not be a done deal.

A new shopping center is planned at Cornwallis Road and Highway 42 West, near Austin Pond. The site will include a grocery store, plus six retail stores and several eateries. While it's nice to gain such wonderful retail opportunities, there are concerns about the already high traffic volumes expanding in the area. Both new shopping centers will obviously increase traffic counts, making careful access planning a must. Stay tuned for more updates regarding growth and development at 40/42.