By Larry Kline/Havre Daily News/lkline@havredailynews.com
Wal-Mart might be coming to Havre. A company spokesman confirmed today that the retail chain is looking at a site west of town.
"We intend to purchase land and move forward with plans to build a store," spokesman Eric Berger said in a telephone interview. "We have selected a site but have not made a purchase yet. We are still gathering information regarding the site that would be necessary for us to move forward. This is still early in the process."
He said the company has not yet made a decision about the type or size of the store.
Berger said the company has hired CLC Associates, an engineering and architectural firm in Denver, to study the site, which is west of Kmart on U.S. Highway 2.
Engineers have contacted Havre Mayor Bob Rice, city public works director Dave Peterson and Hill County planner Clay Vincent regarding the land.
Peterson said the city has water and sewer lines that run to the property and out as far as the weigh station west of town.
The closest Wal-Mart is in Great Falls. Berger said the proposed store would bring a "significant" number of jobs to Havre and serve customers in the area.
"We think that we can serve many of our customers in the community and believe that consumers would appreciate the products and services we provide."
Ron Harmon is the local businessman involved in the potential land sale. He said he owned the 122-acre plot in the past before transferring it to Meissner Brothers and Cliff Edwards in an agreement. He said he has an agreement to have the land transferred back to his name.
Wal-Mart is looking at 13 acres of that parcel, west of Kmart but not adjacent to it, he said.
