Walmart Proposes New Route 6 Supercenter and Fantasyland Demolition

Walmart wants Seekonk’s permission to build a new Route 6 supercenter on about seven acres of land currently home to the children’s play center and miniature golf course, the Sherwood Ultra Sports fitness center, and an abandoned driving range. All those buildings, and the golf courses, would be demolished to make way for a 152,000-square-foot retail center and 652 parking spaces.

The Walmart plans were submitted to the Seekonk Conservation Commission, which gets the first public look at the proposal Monday night, June 13, at 7:30 pm. Because the development would impact wetlands and a vernal pool, it requires conservation commission review and approval.

All of the properties in the seven-acre proposal are owned by Antone Oliveira. As shown on the plans, the Walmart supercenter would use the existing entrance/exit off Route 6 that is controlled by a traffic light. The actual building would lie to the southeast of the entrance, in the area currently occupied by the Fantasyland building and the driving range. Much of the miniature golf course and Sherwood center would be consumed by parking spaces.

A separate commercial building that faces Route 6 and is under different ownership would not be part of the Walmart complex, though its new neighbor would surround it on three sides (see the picture of the site plan for more detail).

As proposed, the Walmart building would be 40 feet high, and it would cover about 16 percent of the property. The supercenter would utilize a separate delivery entrance/exit south of the main consumer entrance off Route 6.

As designed, the new Walmart would sit close to a residential area, mostly Mabel Drive. In some areas, Walmart fencing, dumpsters and landscaping buffers would sit 40 to 80 feet from private homes.

The new Walmart, which would be about half a mile from an existing Walmart, would be much larger with more to offer, including a garden center. The proposal comes just a couple months after competitor Target completed a renovation of its Seekonk store to greatly expand its grocery department. Target is also constructing a supercenter with a full grocery department just a few miles away, near the Swansea Mall.