California’s newest Costco will be among biggest in the world

FRESNO, Calif. – Costco mega fans in California are in for a treat after plans were finally approved to build one of the world’s largest warehouses in Fresno.

The new location will replace a Costco warehouse in west Fresno once its lease expires next year, as first reported by Fresnoland. The city council gave the green light to the new retail emporium after weeks of deliberation around traffic congestion and parking requirements that Costco will have to meet, Fresnoland reported.

The existing location on West Shaw Avenue has been open since 1985. But with changing times, growth is inevitable.

Costco’s developers have outlined a 219,000-square-foot warehouse four miles away that will feature a 32-pump gas station, a car wash, and a dedicated food delivery service.

It will occupy an empty lot at North Riverside Drive and West Herndon Avenue, SFGate reported.

Initially touted as the company’s largest in the world at over 240,000 square feet, developers had to scale down plans after community concerns.

A Salt Lake City store reigns supreme as the biggest Costco at 235,000 square feet. The average size of a Costco in the U.S. is 146,000 square feet, making the new Fresno location approximately 50% bigger.

The members-only shopping destination is expected to create 37 full-time jobs and generate $13 million in tax revenue, with $3 million of that slated to remain in Fresno County, reports said.

Construction on the new warehouse is scheduled to begin in the fall and be completed by the end of 2025, according to a report from local news outlet KSEE.