New Costco Store Planned for Natomas

A perspective aerial view of the new Costco Wholesale store in Natomas.

BY BRANDY TUZON BOYD
THE NATOMAS BUZZ | @natomasbuzz

Costco is under contract to build a new membership club store on the corner of Arena Boulevard and East Commerce in Natomas.

“…the wholesale retailer has been working on this site for the past year and is hoping to see shoppers in store by the holiday season in 2023,” vice mayor Angelique Ashby posted Wednesday night on social media.

The Natomas store will be 160,000 square feet — bigger than the Elk Grove and Woodland stores, Costco’s director of real estate Kim Katz told those attending the monthly meeting of the North Natomas Community Coalition.

The store is expected to create 250 to 275 new jobs, she said.

“Having a major retailer like Costco coming to Natomas is a big win for our community,” said Nancy Kong-Vasquez, who resides in the adjacent Natomas Crossing development. “This will be an opportunity for us to be able to keep local dollars within Natomas. The location is perfect, with easy access to the freeway and all major surface streets.”

According to developer David Bugatto, the 19.5-acre site located just east of Interstate 5 had been approved for a Lowe’s and garden center in 2009. He said a Costco store would be consistent with that use.

“For the most part, this is a plug-and-play project,” he said.

A gas station is not part of the current proposal.

“We would like to see a gas station at this site, but regardless, we are happy with this project, the jobs and the benefits for the neighborhoods,” Witter Ranch resident Doug Snell said.

Costco Wholesale Corporation is an American multinational corporation which operates a chain of membership-only big-box retail stores. As of 2020, Costco was the fifth largest retailer in the world, according to the company’s website.