A proposal to build a Costco in Asheville is back on the table after the grocery store withdrew its application earlier this year.
The grocery and home goods warehouse submitted a new application to the city for a 166,000 square foot facility in Enka Commerce Park on Friday. The proposal also includes a 32-pump gas station, a tire center and more than 900 parking spaces.
The retailer has considered opening an Asheville location for decades. When it first shared plans for a facility in late 2025, it was a dream come true for some locals, who have long clamored for a Costco in Western North Carolina.
But plans went south in February, when the retailer withdrew its application, citing complications with the project's scope, timeline and costs.
Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer called the withdrawal a “tragedy.” She and other city council members, including Kim Roney, Bo Hess and Sage Turner, later worked to restart discussions with the company.
A major sticking point was a list of road changes recommended by the North Carolina Department of Transportation, which included roughly $500,000 in traffic improvements.
The city also requested an upgraded plan for the site’s stormwater infrastructure. The property is a former industrial site with areas of possible soil contamination.
Costco’s updated design changes how rainwater would be handled. Runoff from one side of the property would flow into a pond. Runoff from the other side would be collected in three underground systems sealed with a liner to keep water from filtering into potentially contaminated soil.
The plan also changes the proposed Sand Hill Road entrance to a private two-lane road and moves the gas station farther south. It adds 75 parking spaces, bringing the total to 914.
A traffic study from the latest proposal estimates the store would generate an additional 12,000 daily trips to 15 nearby intersections.
The proposal will need approval from the city’s planning department, as well as a conditional zoning approval from Asheville City Council.
The new design is slated to go before the city’s Planning & Zoning Commission on Oct. 7 and council will vote on the project on Oct. 13
