Reply #7: Hm. They had this huge, elaborate proposal for a Vancouver store [View All]

It was supposed to be a "green building", and they wanted it to be big and expensive, with lots of bells and whistles (windmills on the roof, anyone?). And then the proposal turned into a shambles -- the municipalities didn't want it, and everyone started worrying about cost overruns.

They ended up undermining the concept of green buildings in BC -- sensible designs which do not cost more (and in most cases will be less expensive) than "ordinary" buildings. And they're supposed to be integrated into the community and don't encourage sprawl (and the burning of more fossil fuels). My landlord, who works for the government agency that promotes green buildings, says that Wal-Mart set their work back by a couple of decades! He and his colleagues are furious.