CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. - A new Walmart Supercenter opened on Walden Avenue Wednesday morning, bringing with it 200 new full-time and part-time jobs. The store employs nearly 400 people total.
The new store, located just east of Union Road, replaces the store in the Thruway Plaza near Walden Avenue and Harlem Road.
There was talk of relocating the Cheektowaga Walmart since at least 2010. The new store is located where the old Super Flea market once was. The flea market closed in May 2014, and crews broke ground on the Walmart in June 2015.
The new 186,000 square foot Walmart Supercenter features a full grocery store and pharmacy. The old location was 134,000 square feet and didn't offer a full grocery section.
After some controversy, Walmart and the NFTA came to agreement and moved a bus stop from the south side of Walden Avenue to Walmart property, so those trying to get to the store don't have to cross the busy road.
The #46 Lancaster bus serves the new store. Buses run roughly once every hour, and the first arrives at about 5:45 a.m. and the last around 9 p.m.
Service was also recently expanded to include about a dozen bus runs on Saturday and Sunday.
Both NFTA and Walmart representatives say it's possible that more bus routes will make stops at the new store and with greater frequency in the future.