Community Groups Sue City over Chinatown Walmart

The Walmart store planned for Chinatown continues to generate controversy even as it undergoes construction.

An Asian-American labor group and a Chinatown community organization filed a lawsuit against the city Thursday, claiming the public did not have adequate time to comment before the city issued building permits.

Construction has already begun on the store at Cesar Chavez and Grand avenues . At 33,000-square-feet, the "neighborhood grocery store" is about one-fifth the size of a "superstore."

The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) and the Southeast Asian Community Alliance filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court.

Earlier this year, APALA unsuccessfully appealed the building permits city planners approved allowing Walmart to build the store.

Allison Mannos of The Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy (LAANE) --
whose organization is working in conjunction with the groups suing Walmart --
said an existing city plan for Chinatown requires hearings before permitting.

According to Mannos, the city approved those permits without discussing
them at public meetings.

Activists worry that Walmart won't fit in with Chinatown's cultural and economic climate. They also point to Walmart's poor track record 

Community groups also worry about the impact it will have on small businesses and parking and traffic.

The city attorney and planning officials were not immediately available for comment on the suit, which was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court.

Walmart spokesperson Steven Restivo said the store is supported by a tenant group in the Grand Plaza apartments, the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce and other business and community organizations. 

Wal-mart has said it still plans to open the store later this year.