North Wal-Mart to close for at least six months

Photo: Jae C. Hong Photo: Jae C. Hong Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close North Wal-Mart to close for at least six months 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Wal-Mart on Midland Drive closed at 7 p.m. Monday and will stay closed for possibly the next six months to fix a long-standing plumbing problem.

The pharmacy portion of the store will stay open for the “next few weeks,” according to a company spokesman. The pharmacy hours will be from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

Two years’ worth of plumbing issues -- clogs and leaks -- are the reason for the long-term closure. The Midland Drive Wal-Mart was one of the top five stores across the country with a high priority plumbing problem, according to Wal-Mart.

“Deciding to close a store is not a decision we make lightly, but after careful consideration, we felt it was necessary to make these repairs so we can better serve our customers and the community in the long run,” said William C. Wertz, director of communications for Wal-Mart.

Wal-Mart hopes to open the north Midland Wal-Mart store in time for Black Friday and the holiday season, but the length of time the store will be closed depends on needed repairs. Currently, the extent of the repairs is unknown.

Employees at the Midland Drive store either will be transferred to the south Midland store on Rankin Highway or the Odessa stores. Other employees will receive up to two months’ salary and severance if applicable, according to Wal-Mart.

The 400 employees at the store were notified Monday through a series of meetings. Those who were not working Monday were notified by phone.

All the food at the store will be donated to a local food bank.

Wal-Mart announced the temporary closure of the Midland Drive store at 2 p.m. Monday, five hours before the designated closure time. No signs have been posted at the store’s entrances, as of 2 p.m.

Wal-Mart also closed stores in Brandon, Florida, Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Livingston on Monday for plumbing repairs, according to news sources in each of those respective cities.

Full statement by Wal-Mart:

“As part of an effort to ensure all of our stores are fully serving the needs of our customers, we regularly assess the conditions of our stores. Due to ongoing plumbing issues that will require extensive repairs, we are temporarily closing the Midland store at 4517 N. Midland Dr. We will immediately begin the process to address these issues and intend to reopen the store as soon as all of the plumbing issues are resolved. Deciding to close a store is not a decision we make lightly, but after careful consideration, we felt it was necessary to make these repairs so we can better serve our customers and the community in the long run.”