Costco closer to approval in St. Charles

Plans for a Costco wholesale store in St. Charles are now just one step away from final approval after the city's Planning and Development Committee approved preliminary plans on Monday.

The committee voted unanimously in favor of the project, which will be located on 15 acres of property on the northwest corner of Randall Road and Oak Street.

The City Council is expected to give its final approval on March 17, giving Costco the green light to begin construction.

"Costco will be an excellent addition to our Randall Road corridor," said St. Charles Mayor Don DeWitte.

It has been eight years since Costco initially considered St. Charles as a potential location for one of its popular warehouse facilities.

According to DeWitte, a lot of that time was spent waiting for the community to develop.

"The community and surrounding area has needed to grow to meet the parameters that Costco requires," he said.

The St. Charles Costco was initially proposed as a 153,000-square-foot facility, however updated plans have reduced the size to 148,000 square feet.

The architecture of the building will be much like other Costco locations in the area such as Naperville or Bloomingdale.

There will also be a tire center on the property as well as a 12-pump gas station.

Founded in 1976 as Price Club, Costco is a membership-only discount department store similar to Wal-Mart's Sam's Club. Costco is based in Washington state.

According to Costco's Web site, there are 13 stores within 50 miles of Chicago.

Once approved, construction on the St. Charles Costco is expected to begin sometime in the spring, with a projected opening date this fall, just in time for the holiday season.