On July 19, the city of Ridgefield received a pre-application for a regional commercial development with a mix of retail and food services, anchored by a 151,000-square-foot Costco retail warehouse building together with adjoining fuel station serving Costco members, according to a news release from the city of Ridgefield. The proposed 80-acre site is located just north of Pioneer Street (SR 501) and immediately west of Interstate 5.
Costco coming to Ridgefield offers catalytic potential for the site, the subarea and the entire city. Many Ridgefield residents already travel to Costco to purchase groceries, retail goods, tires and fuel. A location in Ridgefield will bring those valuable retail and grocery goods closer to individuals and families in the Ridgefield community. A Costco will also draw customers residing outside of the city, generating a minimum of $700,000 per year in local tax revenue from Costco alone. In addition, 300-400 local jobs will be created by Costco, according to the news release, which has been recognized as a top employer in the country for paying a living wage and offering benefits to part and full-time employees. Costco will also serve as an anchor tenant in a larger site and subarea bringing other needed services and revenue benefiting Ridgefield residents.
With the benefits of Costco and regional commerce come challenges the city is already planning for, according to the news release. First and foremost, the city is working with the property owners and developer to assure the streets and intersections can handle the increased traffic. As it did with Rosauers, the city is also working to assure high quality environmental, site and building design of the Costco and surrounding stores.
“We are excited by the prospect of adding this desirable store to the valuable services that have been developing in Ridgefield,” said Ridgefield Mayor Jennifer Lindsay, in the news release. “This Costco will serve as a destination retail location for Clark County and Cowlitz County, create quality employment opportunitie and help diversify the city’s economic base to focus more on revenue from sustainable sales tax and less on residential development to support essential services.”
Plans for construction and opening timelines are not final, as there will be substantial work and development processes to work through to assure the best possible result for the retailers and Ridgefield community. The city recognizes that there is a significant public interest in the development of a Costco-anchored project in Ridgefield and the goal is to keep the community informed throughout the process. As the project moves through development stages, including when the Pre-Application Conference is scheduled, updates will be posted on the city website and social media.
