Rumors, News, Arrive From Parker

As we mentioned last spring, Walmart’s Blythe project went down the drain, leaving plenty of sighs from distressed Quartzsite RVers in its undertow.

In the consolation prize episode, ground breaking has started up at the Parker, Arizona store location, just across the highway from the Safeway store. In a long-term lease with the local Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT), Walmart says it’s building a 100,000 square foot store, which boasts groceries, a pharmacy, deli, garden center, and of course, those ‘gotta have’ classes of regular Walmart merchandise.

So how big is a 100,000 square feet? If you’ve shopped at the “old” Walmart in Lake Havasu City, you’ve shopped a 100,000 square foot store. Since the old Havasu store had but a very limited “grocery” section, it’ll be interesting to see just what gets left out in the new Parker incarnation. The doors are slated to roll open for customers in early summer of next year.

Meantime, CRIT is fighting down a rumor that’s been rolling around: The tribal casino, the Blue Water just north of Parker, is said to be “going bankrupt.” That rumor may stem in part from the fact that casino management laid off 70 employees last May because of what it called, “The declining economy and reduced patron counts.”

CRIT’s attorney told the Parker Pioneer newspaper that the rumor ain’t so, and the casino is staying put and staying open. No telling if the quality of food in the casino restaurant will change due to the edgy economy.