Costco construction update: Steel rises as store plans to open in summer 2012
The steel structure of the new Costco store under construction in Pittsfield Township is now visible.
Lizzy Alfs | AnnArbor.com
Construction on the new Costco warehouse store in Pittsfield Township is moving quickly after crews started demolition in late September.
The building's steel structure has now been erected. The store is located on a 17-acre site in the Airport Plaza industrial park near the corner of State and Ellsworth and behind the Tyner's Furniture store.
A sign at the site announces the store will officially open in summer 2012.
The site is fenced off and bustling with construction crews and equipment working on the project. The contractor is Seattle-based Jackson Dean Construction. The project manager could not be reached for comment.
Costco is building a 148,000-square-foot store with 720 parking spaces and a gasoline station. Final plans for the project received approval from the Pittsfield Township Planning Commission in early August.
Eight office buildings were demolished for the new warehouse store and all of the tenants relocated. Local developer Jake Haas sold the land to Costco Wholesale Corp. in September for $7.34 million, according to township documents.
A sign at the site of the new Costco store announces it will open summer 2012.
Lizzy Alfs is a business reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at 734-623-2584 or email her at lizzyalfs@annarbor.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lizzyalfs.
Comments
johnnya2
Sat, Dec 3, 2011 : 5:59 p.m.
@ Mike and SillySally (never has there been a more appropriate name) Mike, As long as it takes to do it right Silly, Anything in the world can be done very quickly. There is a COST associated with that. The COSTCO could be done in a few weeks. It won't be open until summer. Why? Maybe because COSTCO does a cost analysis. I will also point out that the East Bay Bridge in Oakland case <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_span_replacement_of_the_San_Francisco_%E2%80%93_Oakland_Bay_Bridge" rel='nofollow'>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_span_replacement_of_the_San_Francisco_%E2%80%93_Oakland_Bay_Bridge</a> I know this will be hard for you to understand, but Michigan is not California. LA has different climate (you do understand concrete goes through freeze thaw cycles in Michigan that do not happen in LA). Here is my suggestion to you. If you know how to get it done faster and cheaper and still make it last, I suggest YOU show us all your engineering and project management credentials and apply for the job or run for an elected office. We will wait for your plan.
debling
Sat, Dec 3, 2011 : 3:38 p.m.
Can't wait.
Homeland Conspiracy
Sat, Dec 3, 2011 : 3:13 a.m.
Hire another crew to go faster please
Kathleen Nolan
Sat, Dec 3, 2011 : 1:37 a.m.
building an underground parking structure is just a tad bit more complicated than a free standing big box building.
15crown00
Sat, Dec 3, 2011 : 1:29 a.m.
Good News
Kade
Fri, Dec 2, 2011 : 8:17 p.m.
With a city population of 112,806 individuals--two walmarts, several Meijers and various other ginormous big box stores in the area, I hardly think we need a costco. yet again, another beautiful and necessary addition to the cityscape.
Basic Bob
Sat, Dec 3, 2011 : 12:02 p.m.
None of these stores are even located in the city of 112,806. Neither are the majority of their customers.
Homeland Conspiracy
Sat, Dec 3, 2011 : 3:12 a.m.
Costco beats Sprawl Mart any day & it sure beats driving to Brighton
Gorc
Sat, Dec 3, 2011 : 12:57 a.m.
I live in Pittsfield Township and I welcome new businesses in our community that contributes to the tax base. You can keep the parks that are a perpetual expense for their entire existence.
applehazar
Fri, Dec 2, 2011 : 10:24 p.m.
Go Costco
Sallyxyz
Fri, Dec 2, 2011 : 7:44 p.m.
So in less than a year, an entire Costco can be built and opened, and still we wait going on 3 years for the underground parking structure next to the library on 5th to be completed........something very wrong with that picture.
Epengar
Sun, Dec 4, 2011 : 6:28 a.m.
Do you really think those two structures are similar? Really?
mr_annarbor
Fri, Dec 2, 2011 : 9:39 p.m.
Paraphrasing JohnQ above, "A Costco or a Wal-Mart is not much more than 4 walls and a roof. Building an underground parking structure in a downtown area is a lot more complicated."
A2Realilty
Fri, Dec 2, 2011 : 6:37 p.m.
Question: Does Jake Haas still own the property upon which the Costco will reside? I thought that Costco was buying the land.
Lizzy Alfs
Fri, Dec 2, 2011 : 6:49 p.m.
@A2Realilty: Thank you for your question. According to Pittsfield Township documents, the land was sold to Costco in September for $7.35 million.
bunnyabbot
Fri, Dec 2, 2011 : 6:13 p.m.
so a private company can build two Walmarts in the same amount of time it would take the government to rebuild the stadium bridge? just sayin'
Edward R Murrow's Ghost
Sat, Dec 3, 2011 : 5:08 a.m.
"60 days. In Los Angeles in 1994 . . . " 60 days of 24/7 One also guesses that that project had more men per mile working on it than a typical highway project. So keep spouting the LA example. It's meaningless in this context. Because if this project went 24/7 (doubt more men on the job would do much good given the project's limited size), the costs would skyrocket. And then you'd complain about that. Good Night and Good Luck
Silly Sally
Sat, Dec 3, 2011 : 4:37 a.m.
60 days. In Los Angeles in 1994, a 3 mile section of freeway that was a raised bridge and 5 lanes in each directin fell dorn during an earthquake. The entire bridge was back in operation in 60 days. But Californian contractors and Caltrans is not MDOT or Ann Arbor City.
MIKE
Sat, Dec 3, 2011 : 3 a.m.
John, how long should an overpass take?
John Q
Fri, Dec 2, 2011 : 7:52 p.m.
A Costco or a Wal-Mart is not much more than 4 walls and a roof. Anyone who thinks that such a structure is equal in construction or engineering skill to a modern bridge doesn't know much about construction or engineering.
bunnyabbot
Fri, Dec 2, 2011 : 7:40 p.m.
but it is a gov't project, that is the contractors are hired to do it by gov't
johnnya2
Fri, Dec 2, 2011 : 7:15 p.m.
The government is NOT building the stadium bridge. Private contractors will be doing the construction, but don't let facts ruin your right wing thoughts.
Bertha Venation
Fri, Dec 2, 2011 : 5:36 p.m.
YEA!! A great alternative to Sams Club and the Walnut family~!