Out with the old, in with the new

The Walmart Supercenter set to open Wednesday at the Levittown Town Center, is bringing 530 jobs and more than $100,000 in estimated annual business tax revenues to Tullytown, officials said.The anchor for DLC Management's long awaited shopping center comes as a smaller Walmart closes in Bristol Township. After 16 years on Oxford Valley Road, the Fairless Hills store will close Tuesday night, said store manager Tony Malhorta.

The Fairless Hills location provided Bristol Township and its local school district with approximately $90,000 in annual mercantile taxes and about $25,000 in earned income and local services taxes.That money now will go to Tullytown, where borough officials estimate about $100,000 in mercantile tax revenues from the larger retail store. The borough and school district there have no earned income tax.

The supercenter will be open 24 hours a day and require about 200 more employees than the other store, Malhorta said. All but about 20 jobs are filled. Interested workers can apply at kiosks inside Walmart stores.The other 41 stores planned at the Levittown Town Center also hold the promise of jobs and tax money. While much of the center still is physically vacant, DLC Management says only 12 sites are available.

The list of future tenants includes Advance Autoparts, AT&T Mobility, Auto Tags By Maverick, CiCi's Pizza, China Moon restaurant, Deb Shops, Dollar Tree, Game Stop, Greenwood Cleaners, Hair Cuttery, Nonna's Brick Oven Pizza, Palace Medical Supplies, PCX Clothing Company, Pets Plus, Radio Shack, Ross Dress for Less, Sally Beauty Supply, Servi King Flooring, Sleepy's, Smokers Express, Subway, We R Wireless, a tanning salon and a wing shop.

Home Depot, Famous Footwear, Wachovia Bank, Taco Bell and Sonic already are open.
The Walmart Supercenter is scheduled to open at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, following a ribbon-cutting ceremony, presentations by local civic groups and a blessing by the Rev. Michael DiIorio of St. Michael the Archangel Church, which is across Levittown Parkway from the center.
The church is one of several local groups scheduled to receive grants from Walmart prior to its opening.

Walmart said it will distribute $20,000 in grants to the Harry S. Truman High School Environmental Club, Levittown Pacific League, Pennsbury Education Foundation, St. Michael's food bank, Tullytown Fire Company, local police and recreation departments.