KC officials urge Costco to consider consequences of business center conversion
Nearly the entire City Council is raising concerns about the proposed conversion of the midtown Kansas City Costco warehouse into a business center, and has asked the company to maintain access to groceries, pharmacy services and jobs at the 241 Linwood Boulevard location.
Rumblings about the proposal, which would gear the store more toward business customers while still being open to all Costco members, have been floating around for months but were confirmed in late May with newly filed zoning documents.
A letter to city officials from a project architect said members would still be able to buy items like gasoline, paper towels, diapers, cleaning supplies, pet food, snacks, produce, pre-packaged bakery items, packaged meat, dairy products, eggs, frozen meals and more.
But other items and services like clothing, jewelry, the pharmacy, the tire shop, the optical center and the food court would go away. Hours would change to 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and the site would have added shipping docks for delivery trucks.
Costco’s proposal still needs to go through the city’s planning and review process. The planning commission is tentatively scheduled to consider the changes in July.
Councilmembers, mayor sign letter to Costco
A letter written by Third District at-Large councilmember Melissa Patterson Hazley, and signed by Mayor Quinton Lucas and all other councilmembers but one, echoes concerns from neighborhood residents about the prospect of a Costco switch.
The letter was released by Patterson Hazley’s office on Monday afternoon. Council member Nathan Willett of the First District, who is running in the Republican primary for Congress, was the only one not to sign.
Willett did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“For decades, this Costco has served as a vital source of affordable groceries, pharmacy services, household essentials, employment, and stability for residents in Kansas City’s urban core,” the letter says. “Families from Midtown, the East Side, Downtown, Hyde Park, Valentine, and surrounding neighborhoods rely on this location as part of their daily lives.
“For many residents, there is no nearby equivalent that offers the same combination of affordability, quality, and convenience available at the Linwood location,” the letter says.
The council in January called on city staff to work with Costco on maintaining the store in a similar form. In the Monday letter, council members expressed concerns about how the proposal could impact traffic patterns and existing jobs.
“Many workers have spent years, and in some cases decades, at this location because it is accessible by transit, walkable from nearby neighborhoods, and close to where they live,” the letter says. “While Costco has indicated that opportunities may exist at other locations, many employees could face significant disruptions if employment positions are relocated from the urban core and jobs are not guaranteed.”
The letter also raises concerns about products and services being changed.
“The elimination of the pharmacy, food court, and consumer-focused inventory would significantly alter the role this store plays for families who depend on it for everyday needs,” the letter says. “For residents who depend on this location for affordable groceries and household goods, purchasing in larger commercial quantities does not meet the needs or budgets of typical households.”
The letter says that the site’s history should also be acknowledged: “public dollars, public planning and public sacrifice” in the 1990s that made way for the development.
Costco sought to transform blighted area in KC
The Costco opened in 2001 under a plan that dates back to the 1990s, and sought to transform a blighted area with new suburban-style retail development that would benefit local residents. Other new retail at the time included The Home Depot.
The plan called for redirecting increased tax revenues from new development into both helping cover development costs and supporting housing rehabs in the midtown area.
“Families were displaced, homes were demolished, and Kansas Citians accepted significant community impacts because the promise was that this investment would bring jobs, economic activity, and access to essential goods and services to the urban core for everyday people,” the letter says.
The letter also says that council members value Costco’s long-standing presence in midtown and the investment the company has made in Kansas City over the years, calling the store an important institution for the city.
“Our goal is partnership,” the letter says. “We are asking Costco leadership to work collaboratively with the City, economic development agencies, employees, and community stakeholders to retain the core services and community benefits residents depend upon today.”
Costco officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
