Wal-Mart seeks store at drive-in site By ANTHONY CARDINALE News Staff Reporter 11/30/2006
Wal-Mart wants to build a supercenter on the Grandview Drive-In Theater property on Route 5 in the Town of Evans. The 20-acre site at Erie Road and Lake Street would be purchased for construction of a 130,000-square-foot structure housing a full retail store and grocery store, a pharmacy, an optical center and other specialty shops.
Town Supervisor Robert R. Catalino II likes the idea.
"We believe the project will benefit the community by creating job opportunities, increasing the tax base and improving access to goods and services for residents in our town," he said.
"Since 2002, the town has been working diligently to attract a replacement for Ames," the former shopping center on Erie Road.
More than half-a-century old, the Grandview Drive-In has fallen on hard times and was dark all summer.
Edward Carbeck, co-owner of the property, could not be reached to comment.
In announcing Wal-Mart's proposal Wednesday, Philip Serghini, the retail giant's senior manager of public affairs, said company representatives will meet in the next few weeks with residents whose homes are adjacent to the property.
"We hope to begin a meaningful dialogue with area residents and leaders so that we can listen to potential concerns that might arise throughout the process," Serghini said. "Being a part of the community is very important to us, and we genuinely respect and consider the input of neighbors."
A group called Friends of the Grandview had its first meeting Sept. 9 to discuss how to save the drive-in, and 50 people showed up. Its chairman, Tony Troidl, said he was surprised by the announcement.
"I still fail to see it happening," he said. "So far we have collected 1,500 signatures from people who want it to remain a drive-in. We asked the owner to give us a price if he's selling it. We've received no response." e-mail: acardinale@buffnews.com
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Joined: Thu Apr 13, 2006 3:51 am Posts: 43609 Location: My city smells like Cheerios Gender: Male
the thing is, i grew up with that Drive-In. It wasnt open over the summer out of spite, which is too long of a story. The nearest drive-in is about an hour away. Also, there is a wal mart 20 minutes away, there doesnt need to be one
_________________ "No matter how hard you kill Jesus, he would always just come back and hit you twice as hard."
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 7:19 pm Posts: 39068 Location: Chapel Hill, NC, USA Gender: Male
mecca2687 wrote:
the thing is, i grew up with that Drive-In. It wasnt open over the summer out of spite, which is too long of a story. The nearest drive-in is about an hour away. Also, there is a wal mart 20 minutes away, there doesnt need to be one
Far be it from me to support a Wal-Mart, but it doesn't sound like Wal-Mart was a factor in the loss of your drive-in, buddy.
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Joined: Thu Apr 13, 2006 3:51 am Posts: 43609 Location: My city smells like Cheerios Gender: Male
B wrote:
mecca2687 wrote:
the thing is, i grew up with that Drive-In. It wasnt open over the summer out of spite, which is too long of a story. The nearest drive-in is about an hour away. Also, there is a wal mart 20 minutes away, there doesnt need to be one
Far be it from me to support a Wal-Mart, but it doesn't sound like Wal-Mart was a factor in the loss of your drive-in, buddy.
no. The Drive-in still stands. There is a committee of people for keeping the drive-in and running it. However, if this Wal-Mart comes in, no drive-in. Where will all of the teenagers drink and have the embarrassing hook-ups like everyone in my generation?
_________________ "No matter how hard you kill Jesus, he would always just come back and hit you twice as hard."
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 5:22 am Posts: 1603 Location: Buffalo
B wrote:
mecca2687 wrote:
the thing is, i grew up with that Drive-In. It wasnt open over the summer out of spite, which is too long of a story. The nearest drive-in is about an hour away. Also, there is a wal mart 20 minutes away, there doesnt need to be one
Far be it from me to support a Wal-Mart, but it doesn't sound like Wal-Mart was a factor in the loss of your drive-in, buddy.
It's not so much the loss of the drive-in, thought that sucks, it's the fact that we don't need another Wal-Mart or any other superstore for that matter. We have plenty right now.
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 7:19 pm Posts: 39068 Location: Chapel Hill, NC, USA Gender: Male
mecca2687 wrote:
B wrote:
mecca2687 wrote:
the thing is, i grew up with that Drive-In. It wasnt open over the summer out of spite, which is too long of a story. The nearest drive-in is about an hour away. Also, there is a wal mart 20 minutes away, there doesnt need to be one
Far be it from me to support a Wal-Mart, but it doesn't sound like Wal-Mart was a factor in the loss of your drive-in, buddy.
no. The Drive-in still stands. There is a committee of people for keeping the drive-in and running it. However, if this Wal-Mart comes in, no drive-in. Where will all of the teenagers drink and have the embarrassing hook-ups like everyone in my generation?
I don't know. I've only got the limited view of the article, so I don't claim to know all the facts, but it seems as though they didn't take any action last summer. They seemed to only care about the drive-in when walmart became interested in the land.
_________________ "Though some may think there should be a separation between art/music and politics, it should be reinforced that art can be a form of nonviolent protest." - e.v.
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 1:14 am Posts: 37778 Location: OmaGOD!!! Gender: Male
mecca2687 wrote:
However, if this Wal-Mart comes in, no drive-in. Where will all of the teenagers drink and have the embarrassing hook-ups like everyone in my generation?
The parking lot of the WalMart?
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Who's to judge if the area has the capacity for more Wal*Marts? If Wal*Mart thinks it can be sucessful in Evans and Hamburg, more power to them. Let them fall on their face if theirs no need for them. I strongly doubt that is the case though. Wal*Mart folks are good at doing their homework.
So far as drive-ins go. They've died everywhere in Western New York. About the only place you can go for a good drive in is Charcoal Corral in Perry. But yeah, that's an hour drive for you Buffalo folks.
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 7:19 pm Posts: 39068 Location: Chapel Hill, NC, USA Gender: Male
LittleWing wrote:
So far as drive-ins go. They've died everywhere in Western New York. About the only place you can go for a good drive in is Charcoal Corral in Perry. But yeah, that's an hour drive for you Buffalo folks.
_________________ "Though some may think there should be a separation between art/music and politics, it should be reinforced that art can be a form of nonviolent protest." - e.v.
Joined: Wed Oct 05, 2005 2:40 am Posts: 12509 Location: Pittsburgh Gender: Male
haha...sucks for YOU
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Joined: Thu Dec 16, 2004 1:54 am Posts: 7189 Location: CA
Theaters in general aren't doing so hot financially, and drive ins have been in decline for a good while, as other have pointed out. Its quite simple really, let the landowner do what they will with it, and imagine selling it would be much more profitable than keeping it as a drive in.
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Frank