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Neighbors ask Provo for answers as Walmart site moves forward; city says incentives talks are informal
Summary
Residents at the District 3 meeting pressed the city about reports that funds intended for a West Side grocery might be used to incentivize the new Walmart; staff said any incentive discussions with Walmart are informal and will be handled publicly, while economic-development staff emphasized the location would capture sales tax leakage.
Residents at a Provo neighborhood meeting pressed city staff about whether public funds earmarked for a neighborhood grocery would instead benefit the proposed Walmart at the city's south border.
Karen Waite, a long-time West Side resident, said she had heard rumors that roughly $1 million set aside years ago for a proposed Center Street grocery (the Smiths project) could now be redirected to assist the Walmart development. "I've called 311 and asked them," Waite said, "and I have never been able to get any kind of answer about that. I would like it if someone could investigate this and make sure that our money is not going to the Walton family." Waite asked the city to confirm the provenance and intended use of the funds.
Cody Hill, Provo's economic development representative, replied that talks with Walmart are preliminary. Hill said the proposed Walmart location is strategically positioned to capture sales-tax revenue that currently leaks to neighboring cities, a phenomenon he described as "sales tax leakage." He said that any incentives or formal agreements "are not official" and that "anything that happens will happen in a public setting" with noticed meetings so residents can review and comment.
Other neighborhood speakers underscored the difference between capturing sales tax for the city and meeting the West Side's long‑standing need for a nearby grocery. Several residents said the Walmart site, while beneficial for city revenues, would be too far for many North‑Side West residents to use as their neighborhood grocery and urged continued pursuit of nearer grocery options.
City staff directed those with zoning or project-specific questions to upcoming Planning Commission hearings (dates not yet scheduled for some elements) and encouraged residents to follow neighborhood web pages and public-hearing alerts for precise meeting times.
No formal incentive agreement or budget appropriation for Walmart was presented at the meeting, and staff did not provide documentation that the "$1 million" rumor was an active line item in city budgets. Residents were advised to bring formal comments to Planning Commission and City Council hearings when the zoning and subdivision elements are scheduled.
The meeting moved on to separate planning items and a longer presentation about the wrap tax.
