STUART, Fla. — A years-long battle over a major wholesale store coming to the Treasure Coast will take center stage on Thursday.
The Local Planning Agency for the city of Stuart will meet at 5:30 p.m. to discuss the next steps in potentially welcoming a Costco store to the city with a gas station, residential apartment units, retail, and restaurants on a 49-acre property.
The LPA will consider recommending the project to the city commission to consider in late May.
The project would be located along Kanner Highway, south of Martin County High School, abutting the Lychee Tree Nursery. This is Costco’s second attempt to build at the location. Costco also years ago proposed construction in Palm City near Florida's Turnpike.
According to city records, Costco is proposing 193,146 square feet of commercial building area, 398 apartment units within four, four-story buildings. The plan also calls for 162,020 square feet of retail, bulk merchandise, and auto repair services with a standalone kiosk and fuel facility and 1,725 parking spots.
The plan also proposes creating a series of wet detention lakes and dry retention ponds for storm water management and to capture run-off from the property.
Traffic improvements to the area along Kanner Highway would include the addition of a signaled entry, a left-turn lane for southbound traffic, a right-turn lane for northbound traffic, and a new median at the northern end of the site. New sidewalks would be constructed along the property.
Opponents have said it would bring to much traffic to the area, but supporters claim it will create jobs and boost the economy.
You can read more about the Costco plan by clicking here.