Shoppers south of Edmonton will no longer have to come into the city for cheap hot dogs and bulk groceries, as Costco has announced it will build a warehouse near the Edmonton International Airport.
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Costco Wholesale Corporation is building a 154,000-square foot warehouse, liquor store and gas station just across the Queen Elizabeth II Highway from Leduc, along Airport Road.
It will be the seventh location in the Edmonton Metro region.
It is set to open in late 2018, and Costco said it hopes the new location will provide some relief to the existing south Edmonton store on 91 Street, near Mill Woods.
“The Edmonton Metro Region was one of the first Canadian markets that welcomed Costco Wholesale — and it continues to be a strong market for us,” said Russ Miller, senior vice-president and general manager for Costco Wholesale in Western Canada.
Costco has 98 locations in Canada, with 16 in Alberta. There are six locations in and around Edmonton (five in the city, plus St. Albert and Sherwood Park), one in Grande Prairie, one in Red Deer and six in or near Calgary, one in Medicine Hat and one in Lethbridge.
Over 250 people will be hired to work at the new warehouse, which will be part of the regional aerotropolis project at EIA.
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The store will be located near the Premium Outlet Collection mall, being built right now, and the Marriott Fairfield hotel, announced earlier this month.
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Nearly 90,000 vehicles use Airport Road at Highway 2 on a daily basis. Leduc County mayor Tanni Doblanko said the province came to council about four years ago to talk about plans to access the area.
“When they were questioned about it they said it’s important to realize the traffic that’s coming in to shop isn’t coming at the same time that the people are coming for the airport,” she said.
“They believe that those two lanes would be sufficient… they assured us it was.”
Doblanko said upgrades were made to Airport Road on the east side of the highway.
In June, Alberta Transportation announced design work would begin on an interchange south of the site, at 65 Avenue in Leduc. However, the project is not currently in the province’s three-year construction program.
The airport says shopping is already a powerful draw for people coming to Edmonton and having a cluster of specialty shopping, dining, entertainment and hotel facilities adjacent to the airport will make the region even more attractive.
“Costco will give regional and even international travellers a strong incentive to use EIA as a connection or stop here for a few days, and will make the Edmonton Metro Region that much more appealing as a destination,” said Myron Keehn, EIA VP of commercial development.
“More people coming here to shop means a boost to the regional economy.”
READ MORE: Alberta man says he found piece of metal bolt in jumbo Costco muffin
The first Costco Wholesale location in Alberta opened in Edmonton in November 1985. The company employs more than 5,900 in Alberta.
WATCH: This 2012 CNBC documentary examines how the no-frills warehouse chain transformed itself into a cultural icon and a runaway success.
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