New Costco coming to north Macon clears Bibb P&Z Commission. What’s next?

Costco got a greenlight Monday before the Macon-Bibb County Planning & Zoning Commission for its 158,000-square-foot warehouse planned for north Macon.

The next step for the wholesale giant is to submit the design plan for the project.

P&Z commissioners voted unanimously to rezone 22.74 acres of planned development mixed-use property at 1990 Bass Road and 4.40 acres of agricultural land at 5384 Forsyth Road to highway commercial district, or C-4.

The P&Z staff had recommended approval. But there was apparently some pushback from nearby residents about increased traffic from the membership-only warehouse club in an already congested area. However, no one spoke against the project at the meeting.

“I think this is going to be good,” said Macon Bibb County Commissioner Valerie Wynn, whose district includes the Costco site. “We don’t have anything like a warehouse-type shopping facility in north Bibb County, and I think it’s going to be beneficial to the community as well as the surrounding counties.”

Monroe County is right up the road from the Costco site, Wynn noted.

“You’ll have Jones County, Crawford County, Twiggs County, those kinds of folks coming to shop with us, because there will be no Costco closer to Macon,” Wynn said. “So, I am excited about it. I’m glad it passed unanimously with no hitches.”

At the corner of Wesleyan Drive and New Forsyth Road, the Costco site is across from Dillard’s at The Shoppes at River Crossing on about 27 acres of undeveloped and wooded land.

Here’s what you need to know about the Macon site based on a P&Z staff summary:

• The new Costco is expected to employ 175 to 200 people.
• The development includes 32 fueling stations.
• The site plan includes 873 parking spaces, including 18 that are handicapped accessible.
• Three access points are planned: one off New Forsyth Road and two off Wesleyan Drive.
• The new Costco is expected to generate an additional 6,374 to 8,303 trips per day distributed between New Forsyth Road and Wesleyan Drive.
• The P&Z staff found the C-4 rezoning is complementary to the existing uses and zoning districts of nearby properties. Nearby properties are a mix of multifamily residential, undeveloped properties, professional office, and commercial retail shopping areas
• The staff also found the C-4 rezoning to be consistent with the policy and intent of the Macon-Bibb’s 2050 Comprehensive Plan.

While Costco hasn’t announced a targeted opening date, the Macon-Bibb government previously posted on its Facebook page “construction expected in 2026 and an anticipated opening in 2027.”

Costco now has 16 warehouse sites in Georgia, according to its website.

Here are some fun facts about Costco:

• The top-selling items at Costco are its toilet paper, rotisserie chicken and its hot dog and soda combo, according to a MondayDigest article featured on Yahoo!life.

• The wholesale giant hasn’t increased the $1.50 price for its quarter-pound, all-beef hot dog and soda combo since introducing it in the 1980s, according to ABC30 Action News. In April, the option of a bottled water instead of a soda was introduced, USA Today reported.

• Costco’s gas prices are generally 10 to 30 cents cheaper per gallon than local markets, according to U.S. News & World Reports.

• The Costco’s prices are coded and if you know the codes, you can find hidden savings, according to a savvy shopper on Reddit. If the price tag ends in .97, it’s on clearance, and if it has an * asterisks, otherwise known as the death star, it’s discontinued, seasonal or leaving stock, according to a Reddit cheat sheet.

• While shopping at Costco generally requires a membership, there are ways to shop without a membership, including going with a friend, using a Costco Shop Card, or through delivery services like Instacart or Uber Eats, according to Southern Living.

Middle Georgia has two other wholesale clubs: BJ’s Wholesale Club in Warner Robins and Sam’s Club in Macon.

Jeane Easom, Macon-Bibb County Planning & Zoning Commission chairwoman, was not reached for comment.