Wal-Mart project to start major retail development in Charlotte

Apr. 28--At one of Charlotte's longest simmering shopping center sites, construction of the first building -- a Wal-Mart Supercenter -- is expected to start next month.

The 39 acres on North Tryon Street near City Boulevard came into play more than 15 years ago when one of the property owners talked with Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton about building a store there.

Now, if all goes as planned, the Supercenter will open in May 2009.

At least four developers tried to buy the land and build on it before Ken Raznick of Farmington Hills, Mich.-based KSJ Development Co. stepped in nearly four years ago.

"My daughter was teaching in Huntersville and I was here on a visit just looking around," he said. "I realized the area was going through a transformation, and if I didn't get this land under contract someone else would."

As it turned out, he said, working through the approval process and getting clearance for needed transportation improvements were more time-consuming than he anticipated.

"This is the longest project I have ever worked on in my life," said Raznick, who has been developing for 32 years.