Wal-Mart setting up shelves in new supercenter

Construction is finised and workers have begun to fill the interior of the new 223,498-square-foot Wal-Mart Supercenter across the Douglas County line.

"We've taken possession of the new store," said Wal-Mart spokeswoman Ami Hill. "The construction part's done. For the next four or five weeks we'll be putting in shelves and merchandise."

Hill said the new store will open its doors Aug. 14. The Carson City store, which the supercenter will replace, will stay open almost until then.

"Basically a day or two before (the opening) the old store will shut its doors," Hill said. "It will stay open basically, until the bitter end."

The supercenter will feature 36 general merchandise departments with a full-service grocery operation.

Wal-Mart executives moved the operation to Douglas County after it could not find a suitable location in Carson City.

The new store is located near Topsy Lane and Highway 395 in Douglas County. It will employ up to 500 people, with the current 275 employees in Carson City moving to the new store, Hill said.

Douglas County stands to gain about $1 million annually from sales tax revenue expected to be generated from the store and Carson City expects to lose $1 million.

The Bentonville, Ark.,-based company has more than 3,000 stores in the United States and is ranked first in Fortune 500's annual list of most profitable companies.