(21 Jul 2023 - FRESNO) Good things take time and that holds true for the planned Costco along Herndon Avenue in NW Fresno. Three years ago, rumours began circulating about a new Costco to replace the older, crowded, and dingy West Shaw location. Now, Costco has made national retail headlines by submitting a proposal for a massive Costco megaplex featuring a car wash, 32 gas pumps, ample parking (889 spaces), and an all-new Costco venture: a cross-docking logistics hub for online ordering and fulfillment.
The location would be the retail giant's largest retail store, dwarfing the existing front runner in Salt Lake City, Utah. But, it's not all customer accessible retail space. The new business model for the shopping club reserves about 47,000 sq. ft for market delivery operation. This will enable Costco to rival competitors such as Walmart with digital ordering, pickup, and even home delivery.
According to GV Wire, 'access to the Costco will be from Herndon Avenue, at both N. Riverside Drive on the western side, and a newly-built intersection at Herndon and N. Arthur Avenue.'
The existing location at West Shaw Ave. has a lease until 2085 and will likely sub-lease the old facility to another company while maintaining a Costco presence in the form of the gas station which is slated to remain open. Current ambitions are gearing up for a late summer or early autumn 2024 grand opening with existing Costco Whoelsale retail operations on W. Shaw & Blythe being shut down around the same time.
