Walmart opens in Liberty City area of Miami-Dade

Walmart opened a new 182,000-square-foot store in the Liberty City area of Miami on Wednesday, saying it is the first new development in the neighborhood in decades.

Walmart has been opening new stores in South Florida at a rapid pace and bought the 23.2-acre site at 3200 Northwest 79th Street in 2012 for $12.7 million.

The retail giant just opened a store in Miami Gardens on Jan. 7. Several more stores are in the works,the company said, including ones in Hollywood, Tamarac, Fort Lauderdale and Davie, as well as one in Midtown Miami that has faced fierce neighborhood opposition.

Overall, the company said Florida represents its largest state after Texas. — Ina Cordle