UPDATED - Commissioner: Walmart Wants To Bring 'Neighborhood Market' to Lithonia

Walmart is interested in bringing its Neighborhood Market concept to the Lithonia area, DeKalb County District 5 Commissioner Lee May told Patch.

The company wants to build the market, which would be a grocery-only store, where the Big Lots currently is located, in the Covington Square shopping center, May said.

Updated 10/15/12: According to a recent article in Crossroads News, the Neighborhood Market will be 42,362 square feet and it will have more than 200 parking spaces and 31 trees.

May said the plan is, after Big Lots' lease is up, that space will be razed to make way for the Neighborhood Market. He said it's possible that the project could come to fruition over the next 12 to 18 months.

"That area is deeply in need of an additional grocery store component," May said.

He said he hopes the Neighborhood Market will spark updates and upgrades to the nearby Kroger store on Covington Highway. "I'm hoping they will provide some competition," he said.

The Neighborhood Market would bring another big project to Panola and Covington. is under construction across the street from the Covington Square shopping center.

Walmart has been opening Neighborhood Markets in several locations throughout metro Atlanta.

A Walmart supercenter is being built on Memorial Drive near N. Hairston.

Check back with Patch for updates to this article.

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