This Costco needs room to grow. It’s looking at a site a mile away

Mega warehouse retailer Costco has filed an application with the city of Clovis to build a new a store.

A conditional use permit was submitted in late December for a warehouse, tire and fuel center on Clovis Avenue, south of Shaw Avenue, said Andy Haussler, economic and community development director.

That’s about a mile from the store’s current location in a cramped shopping center at Ashlan and Peach avenues. Costco has two stores in Fresno, one in Hanford and one in Visalia.

“They wanted to stay in the area,” Haussler said. “It’s better access and can accommodate a larger store.”

The proposed property is located on the west side of Clovis Avenue, just south of the shopping center that contains Marshalls and PetSmart. It was once a ranch but has been vacant for years. Seasonal vendors have used the land to sell pumpkins and Christmas trees.

Costco is proposing to build a warehouse around 150,000 square feet, Haussler said. The property is zoned for commercial use, but Costco needs the city planning commission to approve the conditional use permit to allow tire and fuel sales, he said.

“Once that’s complete and they have their entitlements and approved site plan, they can begin construction,” Haussler said.

When will it open? There is no opening date on the application, Haussler said, but a store that size could take a few years.

Costco, in an email, said its company policy is not to comment about future warehouses until the company is ready to share details about new locations.

This story was originally published January 31, 2018 at 2:48 PM with the headline "This Costco needs room to grow. It’s looking at a site a mile away."