CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Plans for a new Costco warehouse store at Greenbrier Mall are advancing after Chesapeake city planners recommended approval of the project with stipulations during a Planning Commission meeting on May 13.
The proposed development would 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.
For shoppers like Mark Gilmore of Suffolk, the location would be a welcome convenience.
"It would be like a 20 minute drive for me instead of 45 to an hour," Gilmore said.
George Hayworth, who lives in Norfolk, believes the Chesapeake location could help reduce overcrowding at the existing Norfolk store.
"It definitely, from my opinion, will cut the crowd because a lot of people come up from the border at North Carolina and also from Chesapeake and Suffolk outlying area. So it will definitely make this less crowded," Hayworth 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."
However, planners noted the project doesn't align with the city's long-term vision for the Greenbrier Mall area. The 2025 Greenbrier Area Plan envisions the site as a mixed-use urban development similar to Summit Pointe, with mid-to-high-rise buildings, walkable streets, and residential components.
"While the proposed use and form alone do not align with the design goals of the Greenbrier Area Plan, the economic benefits of Costco help to balance out the aesthetic shortcomings of the proposal," planning staff wrote in their recommendation.
Staff also expressed concerns about the building's generic corporate design, saying it doesn't meet the higher architectural standards outlined in city planning documents.
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.
Costco would utilize existing stormwater management systems and road infrastructure. City departments determined no additional traffic analysis was necessary, as the proposed store wouldn't generate more traffic than the mall did at its peak operation.
The project must still receive final approval from Chesapeake City Council. If approved, Costco would need to develop the site according to plans dated November 2025 and construct buildings matching architectural renderings from March 2026.
The Sears location has remained vacant since closing in September 2018. Greenbrier Mall originally opened in 1981, with Sears as one of its original anchor tenants.
Planning staff concluded that while the Costco doesn't match their preferred vision for urban mixed-use development, it could serve as an economic catalyst for future redevelopment of other portions of the mall property.
The proposal represents the first major development application reviewed under the guidelines of the Greenbrier Area Plan, which was adopted by City Council in August 2025.
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