UPDATE (9/15 at 12pm): I just returned from the hiring center which was supposed to be opening today.  It is not open.  A sign on the door says due to "Technical Delays" it will not open until October 15th.  Sorry I could not inform our readers sooner, but we were not informed either.  In the 5 minutes I stood in-front of the closed hiring center, nearly 10 other prospective employees showed up trying to enter the hiring center as well.

The Historic Westside Village Walmart Supercenter at Vine City will begin hiring for full and part time jobs and career opportunities beginning September 17th at the old MetroPCS store in the Walmart parking lot.

According to Walmart, working for their company is more "than a job and selling products, it's about Making Better Possible."

At the MLK/Ashby Merchants meeting on September 4th, business owners in the area were introduced to the new store's General Manager and a VP from Walmart's Public Affairs department.  In the meeting GM, Quincy Springs, said that he will be hiring approximately 150 employees to work his store.  Not all will be new employees, because some of their current staff members may want to transfer to the new store and they will have the opportunity to.

Business members of the association had questions about parking, security, policing, etc., but this meeting focused more on jobs and when the store would open.  At this point the corporation looks to open in January 2013, but the hiring center will be open beginning September 17th from 8:30am - 4:30pm.  If you can not get to the store in person to submit an application, you can also visit an employment kiosk in any other Walmart, go online to www.Walmart.com, or even apply for the jobs at the Georgia Department of Labor.

Lately on Cascade Patch we have written a number of articles about the Family Dollar stores and how communities are rising up to protest against them.  Up to this point, I have not heard much protest against Walmart.  In fact, I have heard praises saying that they are excited to have 1 place to do all of their shopping.  One of the big community issues we face in SW Atlanta is the limited access to fresh fruits and vegetables, and according to Glen Wilkins VP of Public Affairs, Walmart is serious about providing whole foods and at reasonable prices so families do not have to choose between meat and vegetables.

An additional concern that I raised, but was not able to get an answer on was regarding security.  Who and how will Walmart police their parking lot?  I am often in briefings with Zone 1 and Zone 4 Police officers that report that the Kroger Shopping Center routinely has the largest number of petty crimes occurring in the entire zone.  How will Walmart fight crime and keep their customers safe from the beginning, instead of having to try to fight back further down the road like Kroger? (Police place APD recruits at Kroger)

These are just a few questions on the forefront of my mind, but again today the focus is and should be on the jobs and helping our community members take advantage of this good employment opportunity.