Construction may begin next month on Saugus Walmart

SAUGUS – Construction of the Route 1 Walmart in Saugus may start as soon as September, according to Planning Board Chairman Mary Carfagna.Carfagna and the board on Thursday accepted a series of changes to the project, which includes and increase in floor area from 114,244 sq. ft. to 119,741 sq. ft. to accommodate a mezzanine with offices, additional parking spots and a possible bus stop.?Once they got into the actual design phase of the building they needed to make some changes ?” said Carfagna on Monday. “There were a whole bunch of changes that were all kind of insignificant and minor, but there were so many of them we made sure we sent them to all town departments. The main thing is there were no changes to traffic.”According to a memo from engineering firm GreenbergFarrow, the mezzanine will include two offices, a break room, a training room and locker room area while the number of parking spots will increase from 382 to 400.The modifications also include a 5-foot sidewalk on the connecting road between the Walmart property and the vacant rear lot for a possible Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority bus stop.?There will be a roadway to access the other property in the back and that?s where they want to put the bus stop somewhere in there so it will be off the highway,” said Carfagna. “It?s not a given, but that?s why they proposed the sidewalk.”Carfagna said builders have obtained a foundation permit and will apply for the remaining permits this month.?Build out is generally about a year,” said Carfagna. “That?s what they?re saying preliminarily. They want to start construction September 2012 with a hopeful opening date of September 2013. This is a very new concept for Walmart. Not many of them are the elevated stores like that. The architects have been spending a lot more time.”Walmart spokesman Chris Buchanan said construction should begin “this fall.”?Overall, our company is very excited about this project and we look forward to saving our Saugus area customers money so they can live better,” Buchanan said.Caleb Perrin, project manager for WS Development, said his firm has finally closed on the property and is now the owner of the location.Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].