After three long years, there's finally a sign of progress for the proposed Walmart store in Rock Island. This morning, Mayor Dennis Pauley announced Walmart has signed the contract to buy the Watchtower Plaza site.
Walmart purchased the 23-acre land for 4.5-million-dollars. Rock Island has been working for over two years to clear the site. Hill and Valley, a Black Hawk College Building, and State Farm Insurance have moved to new locations.
Pauley says the Walmart store is the largest retail development in Rock Island's history. He estimates the store will bring in 1.4-million-dollars of sales tax revenue each year, and will add 400 jobs. And, the city has already been talking to new businesses, interested in moving to the area if Walmart does.
On Monday night, alderman will vote on the final approval of the contract. Pauley was adamant about not giving a timeline for the project, saying he's taking it "one step at a time."