ALBANY, GA -
The east Albany Walmart is finally open after years of planning and construction. To kick off the retail giant's new location, city leader, employees and customers were all part of the fanfare when the doors opened at eight o'clock Wednesday morning.
Their was cheering, hugging, and even tears about the new big box store that sits on a corner that looks a lot different than it used to.
With cheers applause and that traditional snip of a ribbon, the east Albany Walmart was open for business.
"We have waited for this for a long time," said East Albany resident Betty Whitmire.
"This is more than a Walmart. It's really a change," said Dougherty County Commission Chairman Jeff Sinyard.
The construction took about six to eight weeks to finish, and the thought of the finished product brought tears to the eyes of Mayor Adams and Commissioner Sinyard.
"To see the baby we worked really hard on grow up, is really a full circle moment, " said Sinyard.
Albany leaders have been hard at work to make this happen.
"I can remember when there were only trailers here.
Four years ago, this ground was home to Georgian Mobile Home estates-- notorious for crime and shady activity.
"Some areas here had high crime rates and situations that were not good," said Sinyard.
The people on this side of town say this is more than a store. They believe it will bring the community together. "But now we have something uplifting. and something that can save people money."
And one of the savings will be on gas for a lot of people. It takes about fifteen minutes to drive from East Albany to the Lee county Walmart.
"I'm tired going way across town giving them my money," Whitmire said. "Walmart sells a lot of things that we need. And we don't have to drive all the way to Lee County anymore."
The store has 300 employees and is still hiring. You can go to the store or their website to fill out an application.
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