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Neighborhoods across the country have long raised objections to proposed Wal-Mart stores, but if the mega-retailer's 6,500 locations are any indication, those battles are usually lost.

Welcome to Albuquerque, where the situation may turn out differently.

In the space of one week, Mayor Martin Chavez and City Council President Debbie O'Malley have endorsed spending big bucks to buy 22 acres on the northeast corner of Osuna Road and Vista del Norte Drive Northeast where Wal-Mart has been planning to build a 126,000-square-foot store.

One potential obstacle to the plan is that the Arizona company that owns the land said Wednesday it still intends to sell to Wal-Mart.

O'Malley's proposal, however, would allow the city to condemn the property.

In recent years, the council has sat tight while Wal-Mart stores popped up - under opposition - in the South Valley and Northeast Heights. What makes this one different?

Hot-air balloons and youth sports.

As in-fill development on the north end of the city continues, balloon landing spots are in short supply. Places to play soccer and football are also scarce.

In this case, the political will to ensure the health of Albuquerque's biggest annual event, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, and the quality of area childhoods have merged with the Vista del Norte neighborhood's nearly yearlong drive to keep the Wal-Mart out.

"It's a pleasant surprise," said Victor Raigoza, the vice president of the Vista del Norte Alliance. "I think now that we have the city administration behind us that our chances are much better than they looked 24 hours ago," he said after O'Malley announced her plan Wednesday.

O'Malley's proposal, set to be taken up by the City Council on Wednesday, calls for transferring $6.1 million from existing accounts dedicated to open space acquisition and Balloon Fiesta Park improvements and putting it toward the land purchase.

The mayor's forthcoming operating budget sets aside $1.5 million for land purchases. Though it doesn't specify the North Valley property, Chavez did express his opposition to the proposed Wal-Mart development at a news conference Monday.

Wal-Mart, meanwhile, says it is pushing ahead with its construction plans.

"We have a piece of land that we want to develop on," said Glen Wilkins, a Wal-Mart spokesman.

The Bentonville, Ark., company doesn't own the land yet, but has an option to buy it, and the current owner shows no interest in selling to anyone else.

"We already have a contract to sell the land," said Charlie Boyd, a spokesman for the Arizona firm Sundt Construction, which owns the property. "Any other offers to sell the land at this point don't really play into the picture."

Governments are often successful in condemning private land they want to purchase and use for public purposes.