With construction on the new Wal-Mart Supercenter progressing rapidly, developers say Albert Lea can expect a domino effect of retail development and increased commercial activity.

Crews broke ground on the site in January and are days away from putting up structural steel; the building is scheduled to be complete by Sept. 1 and should open this fall. The expanded store will include a supermarket, and Wal-Mart is also planning a gas station on one parcel of land adjacent to the retailer’s site, said Tom Leland and Al Larson of I-35 Development, which worked with Wal-Mart on the Albert Lea Supercenter.

I-35 is already working to get a strip mall built next to the Supercenter, and Leland and Larson said new Wal-Mart stores are typically followed by nationally known restaurants and other retailers, which could take up any of several available lots next to the future Wal-Mart.

&uot;We have potential customers here who are national accounts who are not in Albert Lea now,&uot; Larson said.

In addition, I-35 Development owns another large piece of land between the Wal-Mart site and Interstate 35, which is already being considered for one or more large box retailers, like those commonly found along freeways in Bloomington, Rochester and elsewhere, they said.

Leland said the location of the new Supercenter &045; in a triangle formed by East Main Street, County Road 46 and I-35 &045; was strategically planned to maximize the development possibilities. With The Home Depot located to the south, the area in between is ripe for more development, he said.

&uot;It’s like the megamall,&uot; he said. &uot;You’ve got an anchor on this side and an anchor on this side, and all this stuff fills in between.&uot;

A large hill that now stands between the Wal-Mart site and East Main will be removed, and Blake Road will be extended to service the new Wal-Mart area and connect with East Main at a lighted intersection, Leland said.

That brings about what the developers say is another benefit &045; it completes an inner traffic loop that will connect many of the city’s retail areas. The loop will run down Main Street, to Blake Road, to Hammer Road, over to Bridge Avenue and back down to Main Street, linking up the Wal-Mart area, Northbridge Mall and downtown. The city already has an outer loop consisting of the two freeways, Main Street and Highway 13.

Larson and Leland said the development may not bring high-paying jobs, but it will add tens of millions in assessed value to the tax rolls, and since none of the planned ventures relies on tax-increment financing, the tax benefit will start immediately. Leland also pointed out that despite the old Wal-Mart store in Skyline Mall going vacant, it will still be taxed.