CRANSTON, R.I. (WPRI) — After years of swirling rumors, Rhode Island may be getting its first Costco Wholesale Club.
Cranston Mayor Ken Hopkins’ office tells 12 News that plans are moving forward for Costco to set up shop at the site of a former ACI building on Goddard Road.
The 16.8-acre site is the third proposed in the past two years. The developers were previously seeking to build the store at Cranston Crossings on New London Avenue, then Hopkins said last year that one may be coming to Sockanosset Cross Road.
The mayor’s office said they still have to apply for building permits and a zoning change through the city council. In October 2022, the building’s current developer was approved to turn the former prison facility into a 210,000-square-foot warehouse.
The developer will formally present its plans to the city planning commission in a few weeks.
Hopkins called this a “major economic development announcement” and said he’s looking forward to the groundbreaking.
“Ultimately that building would be leveled,” Hopkins said. “Once we get it down, it should move quickly once that building is gone.”
Hopkins added that the Goddard Street location is the best plan so far, as it will bring in hundreds of jobs while having a minimal impact on traffic in neighborhoods.
“I have worked hard to encourage Costco to find a suitable location in Cranston,” he said. “I did not want to lose this premier wholesale club to another community and wanted to bring the jobs and tax revenue to our city.”
Costco told 12 News it’s too early in the process to comment.
Currently, the closest locations are in Avon, Massachusetts, and East Lyme, Connecticut.
