Walmart Donating Land for Hometown Park

Walmart Inc. is donating 75 acres of land that will be developed into a park at the intersection of SW 8th and I Streets in the mega-retailer’s hometown of Bentonville, Ark. Adding a nearly 23-acre donation from Walton family members, the new park will cover almost 100 acres according to the company.

While the type of park hasn’t been determined yet, according to a blog post by Dan Bartlett, Walmart’s EVP, corporate affairs, “ideas include access to the trail system, water features, open spaces and play areas.”

The Walton Family Foundation has provided a grant for the design and development of the park, and the City of Bentonville will allow the public to weigh in on what they want the park to include in the first half of next year.

The blog post quotes David Wright, Bentonville’s director of parks and recreation as saying: “The 8th Street property will become the epicenter of our Parks and Trails network. The location, the access and visibility are the perfect recipe for a destination park to serve our residents and attract visitors for generations to come.”

For his part, Bartlett noted: “Our hope is that the trails will connect the future Walmart Home Office campus to the park so our associates can take advantage of even more green space and enjoy the natural beauty of our region. As we recruit top talent from around the globe, we will continue to invest in Bentonville to help make it a great place to live, work and play.”

The company last May revealed plans for its eco-friendly headquarters campus, which it plans to open in phases between 2020 and 2024.

Bentonville, Ark.-based Walmart operates more than 11,300 stores under 58 banners in 27 countries, and ecommerce websites, employing 2.2 million-plus associates worldwide. The company is No. 1 on Progressive Grocer’s 2019 Super 50 list of the top grocers in the United States.