Horrible traffic at that intersection
 

Located at 1155 Waxman Drive, the new Walmart will occupy 33.5 acres of land owned by The Villages Land Operating Co. The site includes 867 parking spaces and 38 cart corrals on 14.75 acres. Access to the store will be available via Morse Boulevard and Waxman Drive, where a new traffic light may be installed to ease traffic flow.

This intersection is a nightmare now. There are plenty of accidents. One was even fatal recently . With the new schools in the south, traffic backs up terrible in both directions during the morning time frame of 7 to 8 as well as 2:45 to 5 now! It backs up through the traffic circle on Morse before you get to the light . It also backs up to the traffic circle at times where it splits from Morse to warm springs. I hope they do a traffic study because I don’t foresee it getting any better putting in a Walmart on that corner .

A good "store of the future" concept would be shopping carts that operate properly over time :)

Will there be an auto center there?

As an added angle to this discussion, I noted in the post by RsenHolzi that the Walmart will be built on land owned by the Villages Land Operating Co.

While Walmart's are well known for allowing overnighters to park in their parking lots, that does not always happen. Overnighters with their travel trailers or R.V.s are usually not an issue, but some people that tend to live in their cars end up taking advantage of this generosity also. *Some*times that is more than just travelers or honest folks hard on their luck. *Some*times, that is drug-addicted thieves that bring trouble, blight, and lack of safety to the area.

I knew of a Walmart where overnight camping was not allowed because Walmart did not own the parking lot but simply leased it. The actual owners did not allow the generous Walmart policy and maintained enforcement of their own rules.

Time will tell how this is handled at this new Walmart Supercenter.

That could very well be a condition of the permit by the developer. If so, the enforcement would be on Walmart and Wildwood?

To address the posters who commented that the Rt 44 road at Morse Blvd is a state road, here is the official answer from the FDOT:

Dear Requestor:

Good afternoon.

Thank you for reaching out to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) regarding State Road 44 in The Villages.

After some research I was able to determine that west of the intersection of S.R.44 and Buena Vista Drive/Heritage Boulevard the roadway is managed by the State and is designated S.R. 44. East of the intersection the roadway is managed by the county and designated E. C.R. 44.

Morse Boulevard is at the intersection of E.C.R. 44.

Please let me know if you have any further questions.

Thank you,

Florida Department of Transportation
719 South Woodland Boulevard
DeLand, Florida 32720
melanie.hand@dot.state.fl.us

I love the concern over traffic at 44 and Morse. Imagine if there was any… 🤣

Agreed
 

Yes, it’s already a 4 lane on both roads. Furthermore, a right turn lane off 44 East could easily be expanded onto Villages property for convenience and could be used to turn directly into the store lot. In addition Morse already has the northbound median access lane right after the fire department for the Waxman gate. The area is nothing like costal 19 or the 1.

44 is ripe for expansion of business. It can fill a large void of shopping convenience.

I know many will disagree but large retail, Walmart in particular, never raises an area's "standard of living". They always bring massive traffic, shoppers from outside the area who may or may not share the same beliefs as the local neighborhoods do, which means a significant bump in crime. I've seen it happen twice when we lived in Georgia, but hey, at least I have big box store shopping near by!

Go talk to the loss prevention folks at Target , Lowe’s and HD too....it is what it is. You can’t say ‘Yay....we’re getting a super Walmart’ out of one side of the face and ‘...but it’s synonymous with crime’ out the other side!

You know where the most dangerous place in America was at 240pm on Saturday (for those minutes surrounding it)...that’s right...Leesburg!! Johnny, tell them what they’ve won!

Trust me when I say, my "but hey, at least I have big box store shopping near by!" could not have been more facetious and was somewhat aimed at those that only see the 'convenience' but never all of what these business' bring.

Fortunately there is a Walmart in Bushnell or otherwise there would be a lot more transient traffic through Eastport.

Oh its coming. Eastport is still being built out and that's a direct benefit to Middleton (families) when it goes on line. Can't wait for that feeder program (complaints). Me? I have been on board with both since inception. As they say...' Nothing changes if nothing changes'. And I believe the demo needs a supplement!

Probably only shopping close by the mom as pop store got rubbed out 50 years ago, even so major change food stores can’t compete. I hate Walmart also but my choices are very limited.

I think the high prices will keep them away. And besides they won't be very interested in what the retail stores have to sell.

Eastport’s inspiration has a hint of European influence with quaint shops and buildings scaled down to create intimate settings. Stroll through a brick-paved alley or muse lined with boutiques and unique experiences. Here you’ll explore a variety of entertainment, shopping and dining options along the waterfront.Discover Eastport: The Villages(R) Newest Town Center

Most likely you would park your golf car near the Tennis and pickleball courts at Rohan and have to walk across two busy streets to get to Walmart. I was looking and as it is now there are only retention ponds on the Chitty Chatty side and no roads close enough to walk from there.