MIAMI—Midtown Miami is getting one step closer to seeing a Walmart in its midst. Walmart has filed a Class II Special Permit Application with the city to open a new store there.

Construction of the Midtown Miami Walmart retail store will create about 400 construction jobs and 350 retail positions. Pending city approval, a hiring center will open in 2013. A store would tentatively open in 2014.

“One of the things that's changed for Walmart is that we've become more flexible in our approach to neighborhoods,” Steven Restivo, Sr. director of Community Affairs for Walmart, tells GlobeSt.com. “Midtown and Wynwood are two of the more dynamic neighborhoods in South Florida and in addition to providing jobs and affordable groceries, our store is designed to be a reflection of the surrounding community.”

The Walmart is planned for 3055 North Miami Avenue, on Midtown Miami’s southern block, which was developed and zoned for a large format retail store. The Walmart will include a full-service grocery, garden center, pharmacy, and vision center. Gensler is designing the story, which includes street-level retail storefronts for additional retailers and off-street parking in a multi-level garage.

“The vision for Midtown was to create a retail destination in the heart of the city’s urban core and we think our store will complement the existing businesses and restaurants in the area,” Elise Vasquez-Warner, regional general manager and vice president for Walmart in South Florida, said in a statement.
 
The Midtown Miami retail store also will provide more convenient access for people who now commute outside the city to shop and work at Walmart. According to the retailer, local customers spent more than $85 million at Walmart last year and the retailer employs close to 400 residents.
 
This is the second store Walmart has announced in the city this year.  Last month, the retailer shared plans for Miami’s first Walmart Neighborhood Market on the former site of Everglades Lumber in Flagami.