Burbank, Wal-Mart to Negotiate on Project

The Burbank City Council on Tuesday approved an agreement to negotiate exclusively with Wal-Mart Stores for the development of a $111-million open-air shopping center on land being vacated by Lockheed Corp.

The agreement will allow city officials and Wal-Mart executives to negotiate for up to 10 months on the planned center, which would have a minimum of 750,000 square feet but could grow to almost 1 million square feet.

City officials have said the project would be one of the largest of its kind in the nation.

Burbank was shaken in the last year by the departure of numerous large industries, including Lockheed, which is moving its operations to other locations in Southern California and Georgia.

Officials said the project, near the Golden State Freeway and Empire Avenue, would generate more then $250 million in annual sales and create more than 2,000 jobs.

The center would be anchored by a 110,000-square-foot Wal-Mart discount department store and a 120,000-square-foot Sam’s Club, a warehouse that carries supplies for small businesses.