Costco still has eyes on Pensacola with new plans for Nine Mile store submitted July 14

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7 days ago

(This story was updated to add new information.)
Costco officially set its eyes on the Pensacola market by filing a proposal to build a store at 225 E. Nine Mile Road last June.
More than a year later, Costco is yet to receive approval from Escambia County's Development Review Committee (DRC) since submitting their plans.
Still, there are signs of life that Costco still wants to make the Pensacola store a reality.
The retailer filed its latest proposal to Escambia County on July 14, nearly four months after its previous submission. A review by the DRC isn't scheduled yet., though four sets of plans have been filed for the project so far.
The News Journal reached out to Costco for comment on the potential store, but their policy is to not comment on future stores until they're ready to share details about the location, which is typically two-to-three months out from its opening date.
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An Escambia County spokesperson confirmed receipt of the proposal to the News Journal and stated that "some state regulatory items are still pending" for the project.
What's Costco?
Costco is a membership warehouse club that has hundreds of locations worldwide and offers a wide selection of merchandise ranging from groceries, furniture and electronics to pet insurance, bottled water delivery and travel packages.
Is Costco coming to Pensacola?
Costco plans to build a 172,580-square-foot store at 225 E. Nine Mile Road with a gas station in between Sam's Seafood & Grill and Wells Fargo bank, a tire center alongside improvements to the existing plazas' parking lot and entryways.
If Costco's plans are approved by the county, they'll first have to demolish the existing building inside the plaza before building their store. Planet Fitness, the last business standing in the building, is constructing its own location across the street.
Some of the existing businesses in the plaza that aren't based inside that building will remain if the project is approved, such as Dairy Queen, Sam's Seafood and Wells Fargo.
Escambia County initially received an application from Thomas Engineering, a Tampa-based engineering firm, last June on behalf of Costco to develop its first Pensacola store inside an existing shopping center on Nine Mile Road.
The group resubmitted its proposal in October after receiving feedback from the DRC, which painted a clearer picture of the potential project, but Costco still didn't receive a development order from the DRC to start the process.
Another set of site plan drawings were filed to Escambia County in March that made slight revisions to the previous proposal. Developers reduced the proposed number of parking spots to 830 and added plans to create bike racks next to the liquor store.
Escambia County received the fourth, and latest, set of plans on July 14, which is a similar proposal as the previous submission.
When is Costco opening in Pensacola?
There isn't a projected opening date for Pensacola's first Costco store, as the project has not been approved by the DRC yet.
Where is Costco opening new stores?
Costco has opened three new stores since June, including a location in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, and Malmo, Sweden, with plans to debut seven new locations through August 2025. That includes three international stores, two of which will open in Canada while the remaining store will open in Mexico. The Villages is the only Florida city with a Costco opening scheduled in August.
The incoming stores will be located in the following cities.
Allen, Texas
East Newmarket, Canada
North Guadalajara, Mexico
Rimouski, Canada
Richland, Washington
Spring Valley, Nevada
The Villages, Florida
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Costco Pensacola store plans stalled, but progress could come soon
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