24-Hour Walmart to Open in November

Updated 3:20 p.m. to include answer to a question about parking lot security.

A Walmart that moved into what used to be a Mervyn's in the back of the Southland Plaza Shopping Center will open in November, Delia Garcia, media director for Walmart West told IB Patch Friday. A specific date has not been identified.

The store will be open 24 hours a day.

Cameras are posted on the building's exterior, and security patrols, possibly provided by a private company, will patrol the store's parking lot, Garcia said.

About 215 full- and part-time employees have been hired, she said, and began stocking shelves earlier this month.

According to the company's website, nearly half of the Walmarts in San Diego County are open 24 hours. The new 75,000-square-foot location off Palm Avenue will not sell produce.

San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders, business group leaders and Casa Familiar met outside what was a vacant store in February to announce the opening of San Diego's 20th Walmart.

In a nonscientific poll published in February, out of 427 votes, two-thirds of IB Patch readers called Walmart coming to the area a good thing. Click here to vote or see full results.

Last week a protest was held to oppose the opening of a new Walmart in San Diego.

What's your view on opening a Walmart in the shopping center? Do you think it will have a good or bad impact on the area? Share in comments.