City building inspector Jerry Wintonyk had some "really good news" for members of council Monday.
"The long-awaited rumor that Walmart [will be] expanding is coming true," said Wintonyk.
He said the Walmart Store, owned by Walmart Canada Inc., at 601 Carlton Trail was going ahead with a 30,209 square foot addition for a combined total area of 138,306 square feet. The expansion is to accommodate a new retail grocery store addition.
There are also plans to expand the parking on the east side of the Walmart store: 553 parking stalls are required and 592 stalls are approved on the plan.
The architect is Abbarch Architecture Inc. of Toronto and the value of the project is estimated at $5.5 million. The contract is currently up for tender.
Wintonyk said they anticipate starting that project in April 2014. He confirmed to reporters the expansion is happening on land that Walmart already owns and pays taxes for.
The plan was well received by members of council Monday night. In speaking to reporters Wintonyk pointed to the positives that the project would bring.
"Absolutely, it's a good thing," said Wintonyk. "Anytime business expands, it's going to bring more people in to shop, so the trading area will grow with this addition."
