Oakwood Ave. Walmart is closing on December 20th, much to the dismay of local residents

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) – On Tuesday, Walmart officials confirmed they would permanently close the Walmart on Oakwood Avenue on December 20th.

Sandra Hall has lived in the neighborhood longer than the store has been around, and she said the closure will have an immediate impact on surrounding families.

“A few times me, my husband and my granddaughter went to the Walmart store. We can be in the front yard or I can sit in my backyard and I can see families going to Walmart,” she said. “At first I don’t know where they’re going, but when they come back, I can see them traveling as a family with Walmart bags, whether they’re exercising or don’t have transportation.”

With the deadline just over two weeks away, Hall said this puts families who don’t have reliable transportation in a difficult position so close to Christmas.

The nearest grocery store is Kroger, more than two miles away.

The next best alternative might be to take the #9 bus from Huntsville.

It includes several stops in the neighborhood and stops near the Aldi and Sam’s Club on University Drive and the Walmart on Sparkman Drive.

Hall’s neighbor Kim Smith said her biggest question is what’s next when the store is gone.

“My biggest concern and hope is that it doesn’t sit empty for a long time. Because that’s not good for our neighborhood, that would be detrimental to our neighborhood,” she said.

District 1 Councilwoman Michelle Watkins has since released a statement saying that, fortunately, no employee will lose their jobs.

In the statement, she also said she would work to ensure the property has a new tenant sooner rather than later.

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