Report Back

Updated 10/19/26: City Council unanimously approved the rezoning for the proposed Costco at Enka Commerce Park. The discussion provided some useful new information but left several of our questions unanswered. Representatives said the store is expected to begin with roughly 225–250 jobs and grow to more than 400, with full-time employees eligible for benefits immediately and part-time employees eligible after 60 days. They also said Costco is receiving no tax or economic-development incentives. Council discussed transportation improvements that helped bring the previously withdrawn project back to the table, but the discussion did not clearly establish whether any costs or responsibilities for necessary improvements have shifted from Costco to the public. Nor did Costco make the more formal commitment we sought to expand employment opportunities for people facing barriers to hiring, including people with criminal records, or discuss transit access for employees without cars.

Council also spent considerable time on Costco’s request to reduce the City’s tree-canopy preservation requirement from 15% to 13%. The applicant said that if adjoining land outside the city limits were counted, more than 16% of the site would be protected, and those trees will be included in a recorded preservation agreement even though they cannot formally count toward the City’s requirement. Council ultimately approved the exception after City attorneys said the site’s unusual circumstances would not legally bind Council to grant similar exceptions to future developments.

Total GAP Supporter Actions Taken: 14

Recipients and Responses:

Asheville City Council

• Mayor Esther Manheimer: No response
• Vice Mayor Antanette Mosley: Responded, see above (under homelessness report back)
• City Council Member Bo Hess: Responded, see above (under homelessness report back)
• City Council Member Kim Roney: Responded, see above (under homelessness report back)
• City Council Member Maggie Ullman:  No response
• City Council Member Sage Turner: No response
• City Council Member Sheneika Smith: No response

Summary: City Council will consider a rezoning that would allow Costco to open a warehouse store and gas station at Enka Commerce Park. The development could bring hundreds of comparatively well-paying jobs with benefits, along with new shopping options for area residents. We welcome these potential economic benefits while encouraging attention to job access and transportation.

The Facts: Council will consider rezoning approximately 39.6 acres along Enka Heritage Parkway and Sand Hill Road for a Costco development.

The proposal includes a roughly 168,000-square-foot warehouse store, a gas station with 32 fuel dispensers, and 914 parking spaces. The developer is requesting exceptions to several development standards, including parking and tree canopy requirements.

Costco originally proposed the development in 2025 but withdrew its application in February 2026, citing increased costs and delays associated with required improvements to the site and surrounding roads. These included traffic improvements requested by the North Carolina Department of Transportation and concerns about streets and stormwater infrastructure. Following several months of discussions with City officials, Costco submitted revised plans in September. The new proposal includes changes to site access, the building layout, and stormwater management, although the full details of how the earlier obstacles have been resolved have not been made public.

Costco representatives have described the potential for hundreds of jobs with wages and benefits that compare favorably with much of the retail industry. The Economic Development Coalition has raised concerns about converting land intended for industrial employment to retail use.

You can read the staff report for this issue here and see the presentation slides here.

Our Assessment: Good-paying jobs are an important part of alleviating displacement pressure. Higher wages, employment benefits, and greater household purchasing power can help residents afford to remain in Asheville.

Costco’s reputation for comparatively strong retail wages and benefits makes this a potentially welcome development. We are also encouraged by reports that Costco representatives have discussed second-chance employment opportunities for people with criminal records. We’d like to see them make a more formal commitment to extending those kinds of opportunities.

Given Costco’s earlier withdrawal over infrastructure requirements and costs, we would also welcome clarification about what has changed and whether any costs or responsibilities for necessary improvements have shifted from the developer to the public. We would like to know what wages and benefits Costco expects to offer locally, whether it will work with local organizations to expand employment opportunities for people facing barriers to hiring, and what consideration has been given to transit opportunities for employees without cars.

We see good reasons to welcome Costco’s arrival, particularly if Council helps ensure that its benefits extend broadly into the community.

Things to Do (Updated 10/19/26): No additional action is recommended at this time. Last week, we invited you to email City Council to welcome the potential economic benefits of Costco and encourage a commitment to second-chance employment.