By Walter Einenkel / Daily Kos

(Photo: McAllen Public Library)
Walmarts are everywhere. They take up tons of space. Superbowl space. They sell everything, they succeed where mom-and-pop businesses fail—and sometimes, they shut down. What happens when a huge edifice, parking lot, highway exit closes in a place? Well, in McAllen, Texas:
They transformed it into the largest single-floor public library in America.
So very sweet. They’ve also turned the space into a farmer’s market and winter-time indoor shopping and eating. It’s a real community use of a space. This has all taken place since 2012 and now:
Within the first month following the opening, new user registration increased by 23%
This may be the first and last time I feel thankful to Walmart for anything.
You can see even more of this inspiring slide show of the new library via their website here.
And in McAllen TEXAS, of all places. Wow.
This is such an uplifting story. Good for this town for putting in the best kind of “business” with a tiny carbon footprint.