While rumours continue to swirl about Costco pulling out of a planned Belleville store, city officials say they haven’t been made aware of that.
Quinte News spoke to CAO Rod Bovay last week who says that according to information the city has received from the developer, Rice Group, “Belleville is definitely on the list for a Costco”.
But Bovay says there were “significant economic concerns throughout the U.S. last year”, even before COVID-19 “that caused Costco to take a second look at its development plans across North America”, slowing down the process.
He says Rice Group has extended its purchase and sale agreement for the land and that he still believes the store will eventually be built, once Rice Group and Costco get things settled.
On a positive note, Bovay says the widening project on Bell Boulevard is running ahead of schedule due to less traffic in the area and that’s a big key to eventually making a local Costco a reality.
A call to Rice Group for comment has not yet been returned.
