Right behind City Hall – will everyone leave Jo's for the McDonald's surely inside? Credit: Photo by AWeinroth.

First it was an e-mail from a concerned reader asking whether Wal-Mart was coming to South Lamar. Now via a redonkulously titled entry at Austinist, there’s word Wal-Mart’s planning a supercenter on Block 21, immediately behind City Hall, by Second Street. (Well you know, the two-story “urban” model would be a great fit there!) But neither are right – it appears a couple enterprising pranksters have taken to putting banners up at these work sites, claiming the Beast From Bentonville’s moving in. Fear not – Block 21’s gonna house decidedly gauche amenities like a W Hotel, along with the new Austin City Limits soundstage, while, judging from this rendering at Urban Austin, 300 S. Lamar’s going to be home to the Borg.

Luxury hotels and condos … or Wal-Mart. Shit, even I’m a little torn.

This article appears in March 30 • 2007.

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