Public gets to weigh in on Costco’s conversion of midtown store. Here’s when & where
There will be a public neighborhood meeting next week about Costco’s plans to convert its existing midtown warehouse into a business center.
City rules require staging the neighborhood meeting about Costco’s rezoning proposal ahead of its Plan Commission hearing in July. Developers have to host neighborhood meetings about various kinds of development plans to gather public input as they move through city review.
A Costco representative confirmed that the neighborhood meeting will be on July 7 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the library’s Westport branch, 118 Westport Rd.
The Plan Commission’s public hearing is then scheduled for July 15. The developer has to provide a sign-in sheet and a summary from the neighborhood meeting.
The public may also offer testimony to the Plan Commission in person or in writing to publicengagement@kcmo.org.
Costco’s Linwood location
Costco formally filed plans for its proposed conversion of the midtown store, 241 E. Linwood Blvd., to a business center in May.
An attached letter described business centers as focused on providing products and services to support small businesses while being open to all Costco members.
The letter outlined that many food and household products available today would remain, alongside the gas station, while other items and services like clothing, major electronics, the pharmacy and the food court would not be offered.
The proposal has drawn concern from some customers and from nearly every City Council member, who signed a letter echoing concerns about how the changes could impact nearby residents who shop and work at the store.
The plan remains under review by city staff.
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.
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.
