The City of Brantford said Tuesday that it has received the full third site plan submission for the development of a Costco retail warehouse at the Lynden Park Mall property at 84 Lynden Rd.
The city said the submission proposes a Costco with a maximum floor area of 15,105 square meters and an associated gas bar.
The proposal also involves the creation of access to Costco from Wayne Gretzky Parkway, improvements to the main mall intersection at Edmondson Street, construction of stormwater management facilities, on and off site, and the enclosure of a portion of the drainage system adjacent to Gretzky parkway and Highway 403.
The city the submission includes architectural, civil engineering, electrical, landscape and survey plans, as well as transportation reports and plans.
The idea of the big box store being built in the north end has been a hot topic of discussion for years.
In 2014, Costco was linked to a 6.7-hectare property at Morton Avenue and Wayne Gretzky Parkway purchased by a property developer.
Despite a site plan and extensive negotiations, plans were scuttled when the Ministry of Transportation raised concerns about increased traffic from Costco backing up traffic on the nearby Highway 403 interchange. The property eventually was put back on the market.
In 2018, the Lynden Park Mall presented plans to the city that called for a big expansion that included a hotel, 85-unit residential building and a large retail building.
In May 2020, the transportation ministry said it was in discussions with the city and the mall owners about how development of a Costco store on the mall property would affect traffic at the Highway 403 interchange at Wayne Gretzky Parkway. Then, in September 2020, it was learned the ministry had completed a study, giving the go-ahead to the mall redevelopment plan.
Last month, a ministry said plans for interchange improvements at Highway 403 and Wayne Gretzky Parkway are moving forward and construction could begin as early as 2023.
“The Highway 403/Wayne Gretzky Parkway interchange improvements are currently in the detail design stage,” said Simi Ikotun, issues management co-ordinator for the ministry.
Ikotun said the ministry is reviewing improvements needed for the interchange, including on and off ramps and ramp terminal intersections.
“The ministry is working with the City of Brantford to support future developments in the area and to advance this project,” said Ikotun.
He said the ministry expects construction could begin as early as next year and be completed in one construction season.
The city’s planning staff received a second site plan submission in February 2021 for the Costco development.