DOUGLAS - After withdrawing in March plans to build a SuperCenter here, Wal-Mart has announced it is reviving that effort.

The chain store and its planners expect to start construction in late spring 2009 and hold a grand opening a year later, said Joshua Phair, Wal-Mart senior manager for public affairs in Wyoming.

The company pulled its plans in March as part of a national slowdown in SuperCenter development. Proposed SuperCenters in Rawlins and Worland were not withdrawn.

"We always wanted to be in Douglas. Through the national business model, it was unclear whether we'd be able to act in Douglas as quickly as we wanted to," Phair said. "We were able to work some things out internally."

When the company called off the project, the city had just announced the first scheduled public hearings on several items. Wal-Mart was seeking annexation of the land the company plans to build on, as well as a subdivision permit and a building permit.

Mike Roy, community development director for the city, said his office will be able to pick up where it left off. Wal-Mart will need to submit a new annexation petition with current signatures before public hearings can be held. The city had made corrections to the company's site plans and was awaiting final drafts.

Once the public processes are complete, Wal-Mart will need to submit blueprints for internal city review and for approval by the state fire marshal's office, Roy said.

The SuperCenter will offer a full grocery store along with general merchandise. Phair said other services often included in Wal-Mart stores are still in planning stages. He also noted the project schedule is going to be flexible.

"With projects like this, the timeline is always fluid," Phair said. "We are going to take our time and make sure the project is what the city and citizens of Douglas want, and also something that works for us."

Wal-Mart's original decision to build a SuperCenter just outside city limits off Esterbrook Road drew a mixed response from the community. Some applauded the decision, saying a large-scale retailer here would help them keep costs down for family needs. Others worried about the effects Wal-Mart could have on small businesses.

Since that initial announcement, the Converse Area New Development Organization has offered some classes to small businesses designed to make them more competitive with chain retailers.

The chain retailer has said it will need a work force of about 200 to man the 99,000-square-foot store.