Costco ‘not ready to announce anything’ about store opening in Brantford

A Costco representative isn’t commenting on construction timelines for a long-awaited store in Brantford.

“We are not ready to announce anything yet,” Costco spokesperson Martin Groleau said on Friday.

Groleau said future store openings are posted on the company website “when we are ready to make the official announcement.”

There are several new store openings, from March through to June, posted on the website, including those in London, Ont., several in the United States and those in Australia and China.

Brantford Coun. Richard Carpenter posted a video on social media Thursday showing construction equipment at the site of the proposed store and gas bar on land between the Lynden Park Mall property and Highway 403.

“Finally, Costco, after all these years,” said Carpenter in the video. “We’ve been waiting a long time, now Costco’s starting its construction at the Lynden Park Mall site.”

Although Carpenter said in the video the store could be open in three months, on Friday he said Christmas is likely a more realistic timeframe.

“I saw the equipment and wanted to make the video because the public has been so anxious about this happening,” said Carpenter. “People like shopping there but they are also a darned good employer.”

count. Michael Sullivan posted several photos of the construction equipment on Facebook, saying “it appears the wait is, indeed, coming to an end.”

But while Mayor Kevin Davis said all the necessary permits for lot preparation and building construction have been issued by the city, he cautioned that a lot of site work needs to be done first, including grading, drainage, sewer work, roads, water and electrical hookups. That work, said Davis, could take a full construction season.

While Davis said construction of the Costco building and gas bar could start in the fall or next spring, only the company can make that official.

At a council meeting last December, councilors approved a bylaw removing a “holding provision,” giving conditional approval to the site plan and building permit filed to the city by Costco for 84 Lynden Rd.

At the time, Davis said that was the final step for the city in the years-long process to bring Costco to Brantford and predicted construction of the store could begin in the summer.

Carpenter said residents inquiring about when a Costco would be coming to the city “has probably been the biggest question that we’ve been asked for many years.” He said this is the third successive council working on getting a store established.

The Ministry of Transportation confirmed last year it plans to improve the off-ramp from Highway 403 at Wayne Gretzky Parkway so it provides two lanes turning north toward the mall.

Another road will be created to enter the mall property, near the tourism center building, which will allow entry only of northbound traffic.