COUNCIL BLUFFS — Walmart Stores Inc. is continuing its preparations for a second store in Council Bluffs.
Walmart, which has a store in the Lake Manawa Power Centre, has proposed another store where the vacant Gordmans sits on North 16th Street.
As city and store representatives continue to negotiate a financial assistance plan for the project, preliminary design plans have been submitted, said Rose Brown with the Community Development Department.
Mostly the plans the city has seen focus on parking and driveway matters, she said.
Last fall, Walmart announced its intention to build a second store with a request for $5 million in tax incentives to help with construction costs. Believing that amount was too high, the Council Bluffs City Council has been negotiating with the company for a lesser amount.
Della Garcia, a media director for Walmart, expressed optimism for the project. "We are confident that an agreement will be reached that will allow the project to move forward."
The new 195,000-square-foot store is to feature a mix of general merchandise and grocery items and is expected to create 300 jobs, Garcia said.
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