The property is located at the southeast corner of Northeast 20th Avenue and Northwest 139th Street. Costco's plans for the 17.6-acre site have been to build a 142,000-sf building on the site along with a tire store and a gas station. The county's computerized estimates reportedly show that Salmon Creek Avenue traffic to and from the warehouse store would slow to well below the acceptable limit of 22 mph. The road currently serves Washington State University-Vancouver, but a new hospital is also proposed along the route.

Costco previously volunteered to make more than $1 million in traffic improvements to nearby streets, such as widening a nearby busy Interstate 5 exit ramp as well as Northwest 139th Street. The city's estimates, however, found that even with the traffic improvements Costco could not meet the mph standard.

Across the Columbia River in Hillsboro, OR, Dirt is moving at the corner of Northeast 48th Avenue and Cornell Road for an eventual 148,663-sf Costco warehouse. The company says it will start erecting the actual building next spring and open for business next fall.

The development will occur on a portion of a 16-acre field owner by Vancouver, WA-based developer John S. Maring. Plans show about one-fourth of the land set aside for smaller retail pads. The 148,000-sf store will be slightly larger than its other area stores, and will have a separate gas station with 16 pumps covered by a canopy.

Robinson Construction, which has overseen the development of a few dozen Costco locations, is handling the prep work at the 16-acre site in Hillsboro. Bids will be sought early next spring for building subcontractors. Robinson is much further along in Albany, where a Costco will open off Highway 99 in mid-October.

Instant Insights /

County Planners Reject Costco Project in Salmon Creek

Related Stories

Recommended For You