Wal-Mart Stores Inc., rumored to be considering development of a 1.2 million-square-foot distribution facility on the West Plains, has decided for now not to open such an operation.


Keith Morris, a Bentonville Ark.-based community affairs manager for Wal-Mart, says the company looked at a variety of potential sites for a new distribution center along the West Coast, including potential inland sites.


However, he says, At this point in time, were not ready to move forward with a facility on the West Coast.


He says the company doesnt have a timetable yet for when it will revisit the idea of building an additional West Coast distribution center, but says the situation is pretty fluid.


The company hadnt selected a site for such an operation or purchased land here for one, though he says there might have been some third-party agents attempting to buy land on the companys behalf.


In March, an economic-development official here said that he was working with a company that wanted to build a 1.2 million-square-foot distribution center on an about 250-acre site at the southwest corner of Craig Road and McFarlane Road, just east of Fairchild Air Force Base.


Spokane County Commissioner Todd Mielke said then that the county had been approached by a consultant representing a company that was interested in building the large distribution center. The consultant refused to disclose the name of the company he represented, but the company was rumored to be Wal-Mart, Mielke said.


The county commisioners were briefed on the distribution center because of its proximity to Fairchild, he said.


Wal-Mart currently operates three supercenter retail stores in the Spokane areatwo on Spokanes North Side and one in Spokane Valleyplus one in Post Falls.


The company has started foundation work on another supercenter on the West Plains and has proposed new stores on Spokanes South Hill and in Hayden, Idaho.


Also, the company has proposed a Sams Club, which would be located on the North Side.


Contact Linn Parish at (509) 344-1266 or via e-mail at linnp@spokanejournal.com.