Ken De La Bastide, The Herald Bulletin

January 30, 2026

ANDERSON — A recent announcement of plans to open a Walmart Super Center affirms that growth in the Ingalls area isn’t slowing down.

The Ingalls Board of Zoning Appeals last week unanimously approved 13 variances requested by the company, town manager Neil Stevenson said.

He said 90% of the variances were related to “the size and scope of the project.”

The variances included features such as allowing taller light poles in the parking lot, a wider driveway, and 10 “metered fuel dispensers” (20 pumps) instead of four.

The store will be located on 40 acres at the intersection of Ind. 13 and County Road 800 West.

Town officials have been in discussions with the company about a project since last year. Walmart currently has a Super Center in Anderson and announced plans last year to open a neighborhood market on North Scatterfield Road in Anderson.

Stevenson said he expects the company to break ground on the approximately 180,000-square-foot Super Center project in the third quarter of this year.

Rob Sparks, executive director of the Madison County Corporation for Economic Development, said Friday that the Ind. 13 and Interstate 69 neighborhood will continue to see investments.

“That area will continue to boom over the next few years,” he said. “I’m not surprised. There was a lot of effort for development in the area.

“Retail follows rooftops,” Sparks said. “They saw an opportunity to put a big store there.”

He said there will be additional residential housing in the area, which already includes a 200-unit apartment complex under construction.

“That will change some of the traffic patterns with the store attracting customers from Lapel, Fortville, Pendleton and Ingalls,” Sparks said. “There will continue to be growth in the southwest corner of the county.”

Sparks said the Indiana Department of Transportation recently installed a traffic signal at the intersection of County Road 800 West and Ind. 13, where the store will be located.

Beyond food, the Super Center will also have its normal merchandise and service offerings, including a pharmacy, pharmacy drive-thru, auto care, home and fashion products, outdoor equipment and vision care.

In addition to plan commission and INDOT approvals, the town still has to issue a building permit, and the Madison County Drainage Board must sign off.

Mark Rickel, Walmart’s director of global communications, said in an email to the Pendleton Times-Post that project completion and grand opening are expected in 2028.

With respect to utilities and other municipal services, “We’re not anticipating any additional costs for the town at this point,” Stevenson said.

The store could generate about $273,000 in annual property tax revenue for Ingalls, he said, using another Walmart location’s assessed valuation and the town’s tax rate to come up with an estimate.

Regarding the Ingalls Super Center, Rickel said, “We are always seeking opportunities to grow in local communities and explore ways to meet the needs of our customers.”