Article content continued

“I think it’s bad because people are used to the store and there are a lot of apartments around here and condos, and a lot of senior citizens,” said Culkin. “It’s convenient for a multitude of people. I don’t understand why they are moving.”

RioCan, the real estate company that owns and leases the property was not immediately available to say which retailer — if any — will be taking over Walmart’s lease.

Bayshore general manager Denis Pelletier said the new store will open in a 130,000-square-foot location on the third floor once meant for Target. Walmart will have a pharmacy and sell groceries, two elements that Bayshore needs, he added.

“Groceries is something we’ve heard about in virtually every survey we’ve done as something that we lacked.”

Bayshore hasn’t had a pharmacy since Zeller’s closed and Shopper Drugmart relocated to Carling Avenue.

“Walmart is filling both those roles. And Walmart’s a pretty good retailer,” Pelletier said.

He acknowledged that Bayshore has had a shortage of parking since it began renovations 3 1/2 years ago — at one point the mall was down to 2,000 spaces — but the north parking structure is now complete. By the end of the year, when the west parking deck is finished, the mall will have 4,000 parking spaces.

“Walmart will bring more traffic and more vehicles to the mall, but we feel pretty strongly that we’re going to be able to manage that.”

Just as employees were clearing shelves at the Lincoln Heights location, CNN Money reported Walmart will close 269 stores — more than half of which are in the U.S. — in 2016 as the retailer tries to revitalize its slumping finances.

With files from Blair Crawford

pmccooey@postmedia.com