A proposed grocery development in North Miami highlights a shift in store design within one of the country’s more space-constrained retail markets. Publix Super Markets has filed plans for a multi-story location along Biscayne Boulevard, departing from its typical single-level format. According to submitted plans, the store would total approximately 55,000 square feet and be located at 11380 Biscayne Boulevard as part of a larger redevelopment project. The design places the main grocery floor at street level, with structured parking built above rather than across adjacent land. Plans include two levels of parking with more than 200 spaces, as well as a separate liquor component connected to the main store. The project reflects development conditions along Biscayne Boulevard, a heavily developed stretch of Miami-Dade County where available land is limited and new construction is often part of mixed-use projects. The Publix site is expected to anchor a broader development that includes residential units, combining retail and housing within a vertical footprint. Multi-level grocery stores have been introduced selectively in South Florida in recent years.
In 2025, a two-story Publix opened in Coral Gables featuring garage parking and expanded in-store amenities, representing an earlier example of vertical store design. The proposed North Miami location would extend that approach by incorporating additional parking capacity and more direct integration with residential development. The store’s interior is expected to follow a standard full-service grocery format, including departments for produce, meat, deli, and prepared foods, as well as a pharmacy and adjacent liquor operations commonly found in newer Publix locations. The main distinction is how these features are arranged within a tighter space that also includes elevators, stairs, and shared access with parking. At roughly 55,000 square feet, the planned store falls within the upper range of Publix locations in the Miami area, where many stores typically range between 45,000 and 60,000 square feet depending on site conditions. In this case, the project’s added capacity comes from building upward rather than expanding across a larger site.
Publix operates more than 1,000 stores across the southeastern United States and continues to expand in South Florida through a combination of new construction and redevelopment. In Miami, that expansion increasingly reflects planning constraints that limit large, single-story developments. The North Miami proposal illustrates how those constraints are being addressed. Rather than reducing store size or product offerings, the design shifts structural elements around the retail space, placing parking and, in some cases, residential units above the store while maintaining a street-level shopping experience. The project remains subject to local approvals and review processes, and a construction timeline has not been finalized. However, the filing indicates continued movement toward vertical grocery formats in areas where land availability influences both development and design.
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