Grafe Auction has posted a notice online and on the front door of the former Walmart Supercenter store in Homewood that it will auction the remaining equipment June 29 and 30.
Prospective bidders will be able to preview the listed items from 3 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, June 28, at 17550 Halsted St. The auction itself will be online only, according to Grafe’s website.
The announcement on Grafe’s website states, in part: “We have been entrusted with auctioning off an extensive array of superior retail and food service equipment from this vast supercenter to the public.”
The list of items includes refrigerated meat and deli cases, deli and bakery equipment, meat equipment, frozen food doors, insulated foam walk-in coolers and freezers, store shelving, cardboard balers, pallet jacks and straddle lifts.
For more information about the auction, call Judd Grafe at 507-254-1184.
Walmart officials announced on Feb. 8 that the store would close March 10, citing its failure to meet financial expectations.
Homewood officials expressed disappointment with the company’s decision. The store was among the village’s top retailers and produced significant sales tax revenues for the village. Village officials are not allowed by law to provide specific sales figures.
Officials also worried that the Walmart or the property owner might allow the property to remain vacant for some time, a situation the village has experienced before, twice, with the former Brunswick Zone bowling alley, which has been vacant since 2015. The building previously was a Kmart store that sat empty for several years after Kmart moved to Halsted Street.
However, a Walmart spokesperson said the company and property owner are seeking a new tenant for the building. A number of real estate firms have the site posted for lease on their websites.
