Excitement and anticipation have abounded since the announcement that Demopolis would soon be home to a Wal-Mart Super Center, but little did residents know that the retail giant would be bringing some friends with it.

In addition to the super structure, the Wal-Mart shopping center will include eight outparcels which will be filled with other businesses, according to Glen Wilkins, community affairs director for Wal-Mart. Wilkins said many of the Super Centers include such outparcels, but said not all of them do.

“A lot of it depends on what kind of property is available, environmental concerns and the developer,” he said. “If we purchase 100 acres, and we only need 25 to 30 acres for the center, we may develop some of the outparcels for other businesses.”

That is exactly what is going to happen in Demopolis, and the prospect has some big-hitters looking at the area.

“We’ve looked into that market, but we don’t have anything confirmed yet,” said a representative from Hibbett Sporting Good’s corporate office. Additionally, speculation puts a Blockbuster store there, though no one from Blockbuster was available to confirm that.

The new center is not only attracting new businesses, but some existing businesses as well. Employees at Cato in Demopolis verified their store would be relocating to the new development, but said no further details had been given yet.

Wilkins said the new center is in the permeating phase – preparing the site – right now and said construction should begin by early Spring.

“It takes approximately 10 months to build a super center once construction begins,” he said.

Wal-Mart did not currently have any information regarding who would be locating in the outparcels.