IKEA wasn’t the only grand opening today; Walmart replaces old Superfund site in Argentine

While Merriam’s IKEA grand opening soaked up the headlines on Tuesday for turning a barren property into an outlet for an international retailer, Kansas City, Kansas’ Argentine neighborhood christened its own real-estate turnaround on the same morning.

A crowd of dignitaries heralded the opening of a Walmart Neighborhood Market near 24th Street and Metropolitan Avenue. The scaled-down version of Walmart opens a grocery outlet in the underserved Argentine community.

The Walmart, like many developments in the Kansas City area (and Walmart stores in general), was brought along with the help of taxpayer money. And while wealthier enclaves of town have lent public assistance to wealthy companies, the development of the Walmart-anchored La Plaza Argentine reflects the true intent of taxpayer-assisted redevelopments.

For more than a century, Kansas City Structural Steel Co. refined steel on the 22-acre site. Their manufacturing activities resulted in contaminated land when the company left Argentine more than 25 years ago. The Environmental Protection Agency declared the property a Superfund site, leading to a protracted cleanup process. El Centro bought the land in 1995, but redevelopment opportunities languished.

Wyandotte County’s 3rd District commissioner Ann Murguia was a leading proponent to jump-starting the redevelopment of the old steel plant and stirred Walmart’s interest. Save-A-Lot and and Dollar General preceded Walmart’s opening.