Update on rumors of Costco coming to Tulsa area in the Tulsa World. Interesting what this might do to efforts to change liquor laws.
Costco move into Tulsa remains just rumor
By Staff Reports and The Oklahoman
Published: 1/15/2013 2:27 AM
Last Modified: 1/15/2013 7:05 AM
Reports of Costco coming to Tulsa appear to be premature.
A deal reportedly is in the works for a Costco Wholesale Warehouse store to be built southwest of 101st Street and Memorial Drive. However, no agreement has been signed, according to commercial realty insiders.
Jared Andresen, managing director of the Grubb & Ellis/Levy Beffort office in Tulsa, said that while neither he nor his office are involved with Costco, he had heard that the company hasn't come close to any finalized agreement with any local landowners.
But he said he had heard the company is very interested.
"From what I understand, that is going to happen with or without a change in liquor laws," Andresen said.
Various officials had assumed that laws preventing the sale of alcohol beyond low-point beer in grocery stores would prevent the retailer from locating in Oklahoma. However, Costco Wholesale Corp. does operate stores in states with similar restrictions on grocery store alcohol sales, such as Maryland.
Costco, based in Issaquah, Wash., had no comment. Chairman and co-founder Jeff Brotman, who handles media inquiries, was unavailable, said Jennifer Spadafora, executive assistant. She said in an email: "Our corporate policy is to not comment on specific markets."
The eventual location of one of the popular membership warehouse clubs in Oklahoma is a foregone conclusion among commercial property development experts.
Costco is among a list of big-name retailers that are "kicking the tires and searching for locations" here - others include Cabella's, Nordstrom Rack, Von Maur and Ruth's Chris - according to Price Edwards & Co.
"While Costco is one of the more exciting retailers on the ... list, it appears that they may be passing on Oklahoma City for now," Price Edwards said in its just-released 2012 Year-End Retail Market Summary. "They've secured a site on South Memorial in Tulsa for their first Oklahoma store and may see how that store does first."
Some Costco fans also assume a deal is done or inevitable. There is a Facebook page titled Bring Costco to Tulsa.
"Costco is planning to build in Tulsa. Higher numbers on this page will hopefully compel them to build in Tulsa sooner," the page founder said in a post on Christmas Day.
Read more from this Tulsa World article at
http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/article.aspx?subjectid=53&articleid=20130115_53_E1_Report221472