SEQUIM — The North Olympic Peninsula’s second Walmart mega-store officially celebrates its grand reopening this morning after an extensive remodeling project that added more than 31,000 square feet was completed.

Community and business leaders will join Walmart associates at 8 a.m. for a brief ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Sequim High School choir member Ayla Iliff will sing the national anthem while the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post in Sequim will present the colors.

Supermarket

The project adds a supermarket with a full line of fresh produce, meats, a bakery and an expanded electronics department, bringing the store at 1284 W. Washington St. to 145,095 square feet.

The expansion adds 85 new jobs and brings staffing to about 250 associates, store representatives said.

The average wage at Walmart for full-time hourly associates in Washington is about $12.87 per hour, according to Wal-mart.

The store also was remodeled inside and out and is now the same size as the Walmart Supercenter that opened last year on U.S. Highway 101 at Kolonels Way east of Port Angeles.

The Sequim store originally opened in 2004 at its location northwest of the West Washington Street-Priest Road intersection.

“We have a loyal customer base, and some have been shopping here since our original opening,” said store manager Lee Ruiz, who will conduct a reopening ceremony at 8 a.m. today.

In recent months, Wal-Mart Corp. has taken steps to refresh its stores and merchandise, company representatives said.

Changed layout

“The layout of the store is easy to navigate, which will save our customers time as they shop for everyday necessities,” Ruiz said.

“By grouping the products that our customers most often purchase, including health and beauty and pet supplies, we are making one-stop shopping even easier.”

The remodeling includes lower shelving to enable customers to see it better and directional signs on every aisle.

The project also combined the customer service desk, site-to-store pickup location and photo lab in one area near the entrance.

“Joining Walmart was a great career decision for me, as it has been for so many of my fellow associates,” Ruiz said.

“I am proud to work for this company where there are unlimited opportunities and bring those opportunities to our community and neighbors.”

Energy efficiency

The Sequim store, like all new Walmarts, includes energy-efficient technology and environmentally friendly features to reduce energy and water consumption and minimize waste.

The store’s skylights harvest daylight and reduce the amount of energy required to light the store by up to 75 percent daily, according to information from Wal-Mart corporate offices.

LED lighting throughout the store operates 70 percent more efficiently than traditional fluorescent lighting.

The cement used in the concrete flooring is made with recycled materials, and the floor’s finish reduces the need for chemical cleaners.

Low-flow toilets and faucets reduce the water used in the bathrooms.

So that older customers living at the Vintage at Sequim apartments who cross Priest Road could have better access to the store, the Sequim Walmart provided a $20,000 donation for a 1,150-foot-long paved sidewalk.

The sidewalk officially opened in January.