Walmart opened a hiring center Tuesday to place 280 workers into jobs at the new Walmart at El Con Mall.
The store is set to open in early fall at the midtown mall, 3601 E. Broadway.
Meanwhile, El Con-area residents are urging community turnout for an Arizona State Liquor Board hearing on the store's liquor license application. The hearing is set for 1 p.m. July 11 at Tucson City Hall, 255 W. Alameda St.
An email announcement about the hearing, sent out by El Con-area residents, says Walmart intends "to sell liquor from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m."
"Residents and neighborhood associations have lodged formal protests, and we are grateful that in response" the City Council voted in March to recommend denial of the liquor license, says the email.
After the City Council's vote, Walmart representatives vowed to make a strong argument for the license before the board, which has the final say. Walmart representatives have said the store wants to offer the same products at the El Con store that it offers customers at its other locations.
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The hiring center, which has computer kiosks where job seekers can fill out applications, opened at 7225 E. Broadway, Suite 140. The center's number is 298-7295. Applications can also be filed online at careers.walmart.com
Most workers will begin in August to set up the store and to go through training at other stores. "A management team will call back qualified applicants for interviews at the hiring center," said Rachel Wall, a company spokeswoman.
Walmart is looking for part-time and full-time workers, and most of the positions are for full-time workers who will receive an average hourly rate of $12.65 plus benefits, Wall said.
Some jobs are for management and supervisory positions, but Wall did not know how many of those positions were needed or the salaries.
The hiring center's hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Mondays through Fridays, and 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays.
Walmart says it will offer a job to any qualified veteran who has been honorably discharged within the past 12 months under the company's "Veterans Welcome Home Commitment." Veterans can find out more at walmartcareerswithamission.com
Contact reporter Carmen Duarte at 573-4104 or cduarte@azstarnet.com