Under a proposed compromise, Walmart and residents from the surrounding neighborhoods at El Con are hashing out a deal where in exchange for the retail giant closing its doors at 11:00 p.m every night, the neighbors would drop their opposition to the liquor license.
Last month we reported that Walmart was denied a request for "Equal Treatment" at El Con by the Arizona State Liquor Board when it sided with the City of Tucson when it denied a liquor license to Walmart for the El Con Mall location.
Board members cited the complaints of the neighbors of the mall at 3601 E. Broadway while the same mall houses Target which does have a liquor license.
The City of Tucson has worked actively to block the development of Walmart and certain other big box stores and neighbors have fought the Walmart due to their insistence that it attracts “undesirable” people as opposed to the more “desirable” people who shop at Target.
According to Councilman Steve Kozachik, who brokered the compromise in his Ward, the proposal between Walmart and the 'neighborhood' would limit store hours of operation from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. in exchange for neighbors dropping their objections to a beer and wine only permit.
The neighbors also want assurances from Walmart on the sale of guns or ammunition if this is something the company plans on doing in the future. Residents are also asking Walmart to send a representative to all neighborhood meetings to maintain a direct line of communication with the neighborhood.
Kozachik is optimistic that a solution can now be reached between the parties, and leaves it to the attorneys to hammer out details of the compromise now.