The Costco Wholesale Warehouse on West Broad Street in Henrico County is due for its first expansion since coming to the area in the early 1990s.
A proposed expansion would see the store grow in size while also bringing more fuel pumps and a few extra parking spaces to the nearly 18-acre site.
Costco Wholesale Corp. purchased two parcels adjoining the current Costco property in 2023, with an eye toward expanding the store. It has filed for a rezoning that would join all of those properties under B-3 Business District zoning, making it easier to expand the store.
The proposed expansion would add over 20,000 square feet of warehouse at the rear of the building. That area is currently being used as a driveway and as parking.
Fuel pumps on the northeast corner of the site along Springfield Road would be moved to the southwest corner of the site, fronting West Broad. Capacity is planned to rise from 12 pumps to 24 pumps, accommodating a queue of up to 71 cars, according to a Costco representative.
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The new fuel pump reconfiguration is expected to help with traffic flow and efficiency.
The current proposal adds about seven parking spaces while increasing the size of parking spaces from 9 feet to 10 feet.
A vacant office and retail building would be demolished to open up space for the full expansion.
The site is bordered by a residential town-home neighborhood, a Bank of America and an office building with medical uses such as dentistry and massage therapy.
Residents told the company they were concerned about the potential hazard from escaping fuel vapors at the expanded fueling station. A Costco representative told the Henrico Planning Commission that the new station would use updated technology that captures vapors at a significantly higher rate. The old station, he said, is still using 1990s technology.
Commissioners recommended the project’s approval under the condition that it address concerns around increased residential traffic before going to the Board of Supervisors.