Costco

[RecycleMichael]

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/local/costco-will-open-south-tulsa-location/article_4c64f594-9690-5e4f-97bf-80f9a905bf92.html

Costco will open south Tulsa location

City officials on Monday will make official what has been rumored for months — Costco is coming to town, sources familiar with the negotiations told the Tulsa World.

The city has scheduled a 3:30 p.m. news conference at 103rd Street and Memorial Drive to publicly welcome the wholesale giant to Oklahoma. Plans call for the store to be built on the west side of Memorial Drive between 103rd and 104th streets. Permitting and construction of the store at that site is expected to take at least a year.

Seattle-based Costco Wholesale Corp. is a membership-only store with locations in more than 40 states. The company is likely to benefit from Tulsa's recently approved retail incentive program. The program allows up to $2 million in sales-tax rebates for big-box retailers deemed capable of drawing a significant number of shoppers from outside the city.

The rebates can be used only to reimburse retailers that build their own public infrastructure and would be paid over several years only if the retailer generates a certain amount of sales-tax revenue each year. Clay Bird, director of the Mayor's Office of Economic Development, told councilors last year that the incentive program will help Tulsa compete with suburbs and other large cities, which offer similar programs or one-time incentives.

Tulsa's program would focus on what Bird called "destination" retailers —— stores that would potentially draw shoppers from as far as surrounding states —— and retailers that would be unique to Tulsa. At the time, he named Costco and Cabela's as retailers the city would attempt to lure with the new program. He said stores such as Target would not be eligible because they are not unique to Tulsa.

A retail incentives committee made up of city staffers and a city councilor will judge whether rebate applicants meet the criteria. Any incentive deal for Costco or any other companies considered in the future would need the approval of the mayor and council.

Under the policy, businesses generating $400,000 in city tax revenue in one year would get no more than $800,000 back over 10 years; those generating $1 million per year would get no more than $1.2 million over 4.8 years; and those generating $1.5 million or more per year would get a maximum of $2 million over 4.4 years. The city could not spend more in one year than 1 percent of its general-fund operating account on the incentive program.

In October —— a month after the City Council unanimously approved the incentive program —— Ben Ganzkow with CB Richard Ellis/Oklahoma told those attending the Tulsa Trends conference that Costco was looking to open a store in Tulsa. At the time, Costco officials declined to comment.

The company may not have a physical presence in the city yet, but it already has a following. The Facebook page "Bring Costco to Tulsa" had 617 "likes" as of Sunday evening. "Tulsa now has three Sam's Clubs but no Costco even though Costco has better selection and prices," one follower of the Facebook page wrote. "Tulsa has many people living here from other parts of the country that want Costco.

"We are those people."

[hello]

Good for Tulsa!  But I hope if we do eventually get a Trader Joe's it is not so far south. They already have the awesome Fresh Market and their Whole Foods puts the one in Brookside to shame.

[SXSW]

Good for Tulsa!  But I hope if we do eventually get a Trader Joe's it is not so far south. They already have the awesome Fresh Market and their Whole Foods puts the one in Brookside to shame.

I wonder if Whole Foods would open a second Midtown location, similar in size to the one in south Tulsa?  I've thought since Borders closed on 21st that location would be pretty good for a larger store.  

I think it's just a matter of time before Trader Joe's moves into Oklahoma.  They usually like to build their own stores at least in their new locations in Texas and Colorado.  31st & Harvard seemed like a logical place when Homeland closed but Wal-Mart Market went there instead.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Whew!!  That's gonna be a real kick in the teeth to the whiners who say that paying something more than $8 an hour kills jobs and makes an enterprise non-viable.... but then, reality has always been a problem for them anyway!


I am thrilled and ready to join up!  Have had the opportunity to go with family in Seattle who are members and it is great place to shop - I just hope they don't "dumb-it-down" for Oklahoma!!  We even got cruises to Alaska!! 

[guido911]

What about walkability? That's so important after all...

[sgrizzle]

I wonder if Whole Foods would open a second Midtown location, similar in size to the one in south Tulsa?  I've thought since Borders closed on 21st that location would be pretty good for a larger store.  

Doubtful they would build one so close since they made it seem like the South Tulsa location was a stretch.

I think it's just a matter of time before Trader Joe's moves into Oklahoma.  They usually like to build their own stores at least in their new locations in Texas and Colorado.  31st & Harvard seemed like a logical place when Homeland closed but Wal-Mart Market went there instead.

Maybe they could take Borders, or build on brookside.

[heironymouspasparagus]

What about walkability? That's so important after all...

Costco is very walkable!  Wide aisles, long straight stretches, much less aisle crowding than Sam's club - you can do some serious walking in there.

[guido911]

Costco is very walkable!  Wide aisles, long straight stretches, much less aisle crowding than Sam's club - you can do some serious walking in there.

I know it is. Just like Woodland Hills, Promenade, Tulsa Hills, etc. "Walkability" is a synonym for "downtown" and "Utica Square", to some the only places Tulsa has that's worth a crap when it comes to shopping.



edited.

[sgrizzle]

I think it's funny TW already has a picture of a wall going up when they haven't even applied for building permits yet.

Also note the liquor store sidecar.

[Townsend]

Also note the liquor store sidecar.

Perhaps they know something...

[BKDotCom]

I know it is. Just like Woodland Hills, Promenade, Tulsa Hills, etc. "Walkability" is a synonym for "downtown" and "Utica Square", to some the only places Tulsa has that's worth a crap when it comes to shopping.

[DowntownDan]

Not enough parking.

[swake]

Perhaps they know something...

They can own one liquor store under current law. They wouldn't open one store in Tulsa and hold stores in Oklahoma City out until the state changes the laws would they?

We can dream of modern liquor laws. Can it happen?

[SXSW]

Good to see, Costco is pretty useless without the liquor store.  They have some great deals on wine in there.

This was on a lot of "lists" that people wanted for the city, and I'm happy Tulsa will get the sales tax revenue.  What's next on the list?  Trader Joe's?  Cabela's?  Crate & Barrel?  Nordstrom?

[sgrizzle]

Good to see, Costco is pretty useless without the liquor store.  They have some great deals on wine in there.

Yeah, the other 97% of the store is purely decorative.