Knightdale — Wal-Mart has dropped its plan to open a super center in Knightdale, costing the town about $1 million in revenues over five years, Mayor Russell Killen said.

“We lost Wal-Mart, Borders, Olive Garden, Ruby Tuesday, plus junior anchors and $1 million over five years even after two courts have found a lawsuit without merit,” Killen said. “Congratulations C.A.R.E. People are not going to be happy to make up lost income.”

Seventeen residents sued the town for approving conditional district zoning that made way for the project. Citizens Against Residential Encroachment or C.A.R.E. funded the lawsuit.

Killen made the announcement in a finance committee meeting Monday night and later at the Town Council meeting. He said Village Park Commons developer Rick Rowe met with town officials Friday, telling them that economic conditions had changed and that his anchor tenant had pulled out, putting an end to his plans to develop Village Park Commons on Knightdale Boulevard. Killen said C.A.R.E. and the plan's opponents caused the pull-out by stalling the project.

Killen said Wal-Mart Supercenter's departure has also put in jeopardy the town’s plans to build a new fire station and hold a bond referendum to build a soccer complex and buy park lands. He said the town is losing about $400,000 in fees. Knightdale also spent more than $100,000 defending the lawsuit, and will lose $100,000 per year in tax revenues, he said.

“We were going to be able to have our cake and eat it too,” Killen said. “Now we’re back to a Duncan Hines cake mix.”

Mayor pro tem Mike Chalk said the decision affected “real lives — that’s where it really hits home."

“I don’t think the people of Knightdale truly understand how much is lost over this,” Killen said.