During a regular council meeting Oct. 4, Airdrie City council approved a number of land redistricting bylaws to support the expansion of an existing Costco distribution facility in Highland Park.
“We are delighted to be working with Costco on this large project," Mayor Peter Brown said in a press release sent out by the City after the meeting.
Brown called the proposed expansion of the current distribution centre a “significant investment” in Airdrie from Costco. He added it will help increase the City’s non-residential tax base and create employment opportunities.
The proposed expansion, according to the press release, includes the addition of approximately 700,000 square feet. Construction is expected to occur in two phases over several years, with the first phase targeted to begin next spring. The first phase will include the development of 350,000 square feet on the northwest side of the existing facility.
Costco’s Airdrie Depot general manager, Bob Dennis, said he was glad to see the City push the project forward.
“They have been a good partner for us all along,” he said. “This is our third expansion since 2008, so we are happy for the continued growth.”
Dennis said the expansion is a good opportunity for Costco, not only because of the additional space, but also the ability to grow on the e-commerce side, as well as provide more jobs.
“It’s an exciting time for us,” he said.
The distribution centre is expecting to add 10 per cent more jobs to the already 280 positions currently staffed there. Dennis added his staff has increased over the past year by approximately 100 employees, showcasing the growing demand of the distribution centre.
The City’s press release stated Costco opened its Western Canada distribution facility in Airdrie in 2008 to take advantage of the city’s close proximity to two major highways. In 2015, the company invested $12 million in a 140,000-square-foot expansion, bringing the total current size of the facility to over 430,000 square feet.
Once completed, this next expansion is expected to increase the facility’s building footprint to over 1 million square feet.
The Costco distribution centre is located in Highland Park in Airdrie’s northeast quadrant, just north of Veterans Boulevard.
Jordan Stricker, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @Jay_Strickz
