CHESAPEAKE, Va. — The Chesapeake city council voted on Tuesday night to unanimously approve a Costco and gas station in Greenbrier.
News 3 first reported the proposed Costco in January when it appeared in a list of permit applications. Currently, there is only one Costco on the southside of Hampton Roads.
The development will replace the vacant Sears location at 1401 Greenbrier Parkway with a Costco store, gas station, and tire center. The retailer would demolish the existing Sears building and redesign the site with improved parking and landscaping.
Though the vote was unanimous, one speaker at the city council meeting was against the Costco, saying it would create more traffic than the area could handle.
"Greenbrier cannot survive this," she said.
City planning staff cited the potential for significant economic impact, referencing research showing Costco locations can increase nearby property values by approximately 7.9% within a five-mile radius and create wage increases in surrounding areas - a phenomenon economists call the "Costco Effect."
The development would include significant site improvements, with the existing retaining wall pushed further south to create a flatter building site. The gas station would be positioned away from Greenbrier Parkway to minimize visual impact from the main road.
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