Walmart's Islandia and East Meadow stores step closer to becoming supercenters

Walmart is getting closer to its goal of turning two of its existing Long Island locations — in Islandia and East Meadow — into supercenters, which would include full-service grocery stores.

The Islandia store is poised to become a supercenter by the end of 2027 after the site plan to expand the store received unanimous approval from the village board Tuesday. 

On Wednesday, the Town of Hempstead Board of Zoning Appeals held a public hearing on Walmart's request for variances, which are deviations from current zoning rules, related to the expansion plans for the retailer's East Meadow store.

Walmart’s corporate office, headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas, declined to answer specific questions on its expansion plans for the two stores, including when the work is expected to start, whether the employee numbers would change, and whether the stores would remain open during the work.

"We’ve been part of the Long Island community for more than 30 years and continue looking for opportunities to grow and serve our customers in new ways," Walmart spokesperson Mariel Messier wrote in an email.

Walmart Inc. has 14 stores on Long Island, including a Sam’s Club in Medford; a Neighborhood Market, which is a grocery store, in Levittown; and three supercenters.

The store in the Islandia Shopping Center, at 1850 Veterans Memorial Hwy., opened in January 2003.

The expansion project would enlarge that store by 46,598 square feet, or roughly 36%, to a total of 175,353 square feet, as well as add a new drive-thru pharmacy, according to the village’s resolution.

The project must now secure building permits and construction drawing approvals before shovels can hit the ground, said Jon Cohen, vice president of Blumenfeld Development Group in Syosset, the developer that co-owns the shopping center.

Cohen told Newsday via email that he is "hopeful" construction will begin by this summer, but said he couldn't provide an exact timeline for the project.

"It’s too premature to give a precise schedule as to the completion and/or opening of Walmart. We anticipate both to be able to occur in 2027," he told Newsday via email.

The expansion proposal has been in the works since at least February 2025 when a firm that co-owns the Islandia Shopping Center submitted incomplete project plans to the village, which ultimately delayed the proposal, Gerald Peters, the village’s manager and building inspector, told Newsday in September.

Walmart's East Meadow store, at 2465 Hempstead Tpke. in Clearmeadow Plaza, opened in January 2002.

Last August, the retailer submitted plans to the Town of Hempstead to enlarge the East Meadow store by incorporating the space next door that a Stop & Shop supermarket vacated in October 2024.

The store’s size would increase by 63,300 square feet, or 54%, to 180,526 square feet.

The retailer is seeking permission for a 28% reduction in the number of parking spaces required, from 1,066 down to 765, because electric vehicle charging stations and more shopping cart corrals would be added to site, attorney William F. Bonesso, a partner at law firm Forchelli Deegan Terrana LLP in Uniondale who is representing the retailer, said during the Hempstead Board of Zoning Appeals public hearing Wednesday.

Walmart also wants to install a digital sign to display the price for customers to use the electric vehicle charging stations, and to install two directional signs outside that would be higher and bigger than currently allowed.

During the public hearing, several East Meadow residents said they were concerned about the expansion project. They said they were already being disturbed by Walmart’s delivery trucks that loudly idle and drop off inventory outside of the town’s permitted times, employees that play loud music behind the store, and other issues.

"If the small Walmart is creating all this noise, there will be more noise coming from the bigger Walmart," East Meadow resident Susan Bandong said.

Walmart’s store leadership will meet to address residents’ concerns, and investigate whether any of the issues were caused by the former Stop & Shop in the shopping center, Walmart spokesman Jason Klipa said.

The board of zoning appeals will make a decision on the variance requests at a later date. Site planning and other approvals for the Walmart project are needed from the town before the project can move forward.