Renovated Mt. Prospect Walmart to reopen Aug. 5

After a six month renovation, Mount Prospect's new Walmart Supercenter will open on Aug. 5, said the store's manager, Keith Richards.

"We pretty much gutted everything," said Richards about the project. "It's a new building."

About 6,000 square feet was added to the 102,000-square-foot store, which is on Rand Road, north of Central Road.

While still considered small for a Walmart Supercenter it will feature a larger grocery area, drive-through pharmacy window and eye care center.

"It's a way for Walmart to expand in markets that are already pretty developed and don't have a lot of open land," said Village Manager Michael Janonis. "This is the first Walmart store in the country to be remodeled into a smaller supercenter."

The Walmart has always been one of the Mount Prospect's top sales tax generators and it will "be nice to get them back on line," Janonis said.

Mount Prospect residents are also anxious for the reopening, said Mayor Irvana Wilks at Tuesday's village board meeting.

"Everywhere I go people ask when will the Walmart open?" she said. "People miss it."

Walmart officials will host tours of the new building for village officials on Aug. 3 before the public grand opening at 6:45 a.m. on Aug, 5, Richards said.

The old Walmart store dates to 1991. It closed in late January for the renovation, Richards said.