Publix Super Markets has filed plans with Miami-Dade County for a massive 55,000-square-foot store at 11380 Biscayne Blvd. in North Miami, marking the Lakeland-based grocer’s latest expansion into South Florida’s competitive retail market. The pre-application for site plan review was submitted this week, according to the South Florida Business Journal, with Alleguez Architecture designing the multi-level project. The store will feature a liquor store and two levels of parking directly above the retail floor, with the parking garage accommodating 232 spaces.
The new location represents Publix’s continued embrace of vertical construction in land-strapped Miami-Dade County, following the opening of a similar two-story format in Coral Gables last fall. That Riviera Plaza location spans 46,000 square feet and introduced amenities such as a window-side dining area and an expansive olive bar for customers near U.S. 1. At 55,000 square feet, the Biscayne Boulevard store will be even larger than the Coral Gables outpost, demonstrating Publix’s commitment to maximizing retail space through innovative design.
The filing is particularly notable given the store’s proximity to existing competitors in the area. The new site sits just blocks away from another established Publix at 12850 Biscayne Blvd., while the North Miami Costco and a nearby Whole Foods Market already serve the corridor. “This clustering suggests that Publix is betting on extreme local demand or looking to alleviate the congestion at its surrounding locations,” according to analysis of the filing.
Palm Beach Gardens-based Ram Realty owns the seven-acre property, having purchased the land for $13.5 million in 2024. The site previously housed a trailer park and a now-shuttered adult club before Ram Realty cleared the way for the retail development. The property’s transformation reflects broader changes along Biscayne Boulevard, where the landscape is trading its gritty past for the “Where Shopping is a Pleasure” retail experience that Publix promises.
The North Miami project is part of Publix’s broader Florida expansion plans for 2026, which includes multiple new locations across the state. A new Publix in St. Augustine’s Silverleaf Market is scheduled to open March 26, while Spring Hill’s Seven Hills location will debut April 2 with more than 48,000 square feet of space including a pharmacy and liquor store. Winter Haven will welcome a nearly 47,000-square-foot store at The Shoppes at Country Club on April 30, and Sunrise has a location planned for 3500 N. University Dr. next to an existing Walmart Supercenter.
The “Mega Publix” format represents the grocer’s strategy for competing in dense urban markets where traditional single-story layouts are impractical. By stacking parking and retail, Publix can squeeze a massive footprint into spaces that would never accommodate conventional buildouts. The approach allows the company to maintain its full-service grocery model while adapting to the real estate constraints of South Florida’s developed corridors.
While an opening date for the Biscayne Boulevard location has not been announced, the filing marks the first official step in bringing the green-and-white brand to this stretch of the boulevard. The project’s scale and design suggest Publix views North Miami as a key growth market, willing to invest in premium real estate despite the presence of existing competitors in the immediate area.