Site preparation for Windsor's long-anticipated second Costco store has reached the halfway point, with the developer saying construction is on schedule for a 2026 opening.
Rocco Tullio, president of Rock Developments, said crews are making steady progress at the future big-box store site behind Home Depot on Tecumseh Road East.
Windsor City Council first approved the $30-million plan to help support the commercial development back in February, however it wasn't announced what the store would be.
Rumours of the store being a Costco quickly swirled through the community after the conceptual drawing showed it would include the colour "Costco Red".
The $130-million development, which Tullio described as highly complex, involved an environmental assessment, land assembly, re-zoning, severances, expropriations, and multiple ministry and Indigenous approvals.
Tullio says they expect to turn the site over to Costco construction crews by mid-December.
"We're prepping the site and pad, and providing services to their lot line, and then they come in... I think they're going to try to start this year, some of the works. They want to be open sometime in 2026."
He says support from the city helped them speed the process along.
"We tied up this land in 2023 of August, so to be able to have everything - including infrastructure - in and call it 28 months... I mean... it should've been a four year project and we did it in 28 months."
Tullio says this will help service those living in the east end.
"This will definitely serve the eastern portion, along with other markets like Leamington, and Kingsville, and Essex, and obviously Lakeshore. So, it's perfect. It should be a two-store town. This one's going to be significantly larger, with significantly more parking."
The property is located north of Tecumseh Road East and west of Catherine Street, just off Lauzon Parkway, behind the east end Wal-Mart and Home Depot.
The Tecumseh Road location is expected to include a gas station as well. It calls for approximately 25,000 square meters of floor space and just under 1,400 parking spots.
Windsor's current Costco location is at 4411 Walker Road.
-with files from CTV Windsor's Chris Campbell