Wal-Mart, which had said on July 12 that it hoped to file within six weeks an application to build a 180,000-square-foot superstore on land straddling La Grande and Island City, is delaying that application, an official said.

Amy Hill, director of Wal-Mart Community Affairs in Reno, Nev., e-mailed last week:

"We hope to file our application sometime this fall, possibly October."

If everything zone changes, annexations, permits is approved, the store will open in 2004, she said.