Can Kansas City stop Costco from converting its midtown store? Here’s what we know
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Conversion is subject to a rezoning request but city power to block it is limited.
- Council member Crispin Rea heard resident concerns and plans to press Costco on service.
- Costco warned that if it doesn’t convert the store, the alternative could be closure.
Costco’s plan to turn its midtown store into a business center has proven unpopular among the store’s customers and neighboring communities.
While the plan is still subject to city officials’ approval of an associated rezoning request, some residents may hope that Kansas City leaders can stop it. But it appears their ability to prevent the private company from changing its business model at the Linwood Boulevard location is limited.
Council member Crispin Rea, who represents the Fourth District At-Large, attended a contentious public meeting on Tuesday where residents shared their anger and frustration with Costco officials about the proposed changes.
Rea said he heard from several residents who were worried about losing services at the store, like the pharmacy. While none specifically asked him to try to reject Costco’s rezoning request needed for the change, he acknowledged that some may be hopeful of that.
“Folks who are impacted by this want the council to view this as a quality of life issue,” Rea said. “How do we, from the city’s perspective, do everything we can to make sure those types of services are provided?”
Costco is asking the city to approve changes to the property’s zoning and site plan that would accommodate the parking lot and loading dock changes. Company officials say they are needed to turn the store into a business center focused on selling products to small businesses rather than residents.
The city’s planning commission is scheduled to review the plan during a meeting on July 15. The commission’s advice about the project will then be sent to the City Council, which will consider giving final approval.
But that review is unlikely to stop Costco from changing what products it sells or customers it intends to serve.
Jordan Berger, a spokesperson for the city’s Planning and Development Department, said the city’s review of Costco’s plans is focused on the company’s site plan changes and not how the company does business.
He said the rezoning request, which required the company to pitch the idea to residents in a public meeting, is needed because Costco wants to reconfigure its parking lot — not because it wants to change its business operations.
“Costco can theoretically change their business model at will,” Berger said. “Their retail sales inside the store — from a land use standpoint, at least — doesn’t change.”
City to review plans
While Costco is planning to convert its Midtown store into a business center, its request to the city is specifically about the property’s land use. Costco requested city approval to reconfigure a portion of its parking lot and remodel a corner of the store’s building.
Company officials told residents during the Tuesday meeting that the plan calls for adding more shipping docks to the building and converting part of the existing parking lot into a fenced storage area for the store’s delivery trucks that would transport goods to local businesses every day.
It’s unclear if those changes to the property are absolutely necessary for the planned conversion. Costco officials did not respond to The Star’s request for comment.
But even if Costco is unable to amend the site’s zoning plan, it’s not guaranteed that the store would remain a wholesale grocer either.
Stephen Cross, the real estate director for Costco, suggested to the audience during the public meeting that the alternative to converting the store to a business center would not be desirable to the community either.
“The alternative is, it’s closed,” Cross said.
However, if the zoning request is necessary, it puts the city in a good negotiating position. Rea said city officials can try to work with the company through the zoning process to help address the public’s concerns.
One option could be convincing Costco to keep some of the products and services that are on the chopping block. The most common concern among residents was the loss of the store’s pharmacy.
Rea said that he heard some residents suggest Costco consider a hybrid wholesale store and business center that continues to provide some of the most desired services. He said that it will be on his mind while reviewing Costco’s request.
“I intend to ask Costco if that’s something they can work with us to try and incorporate so that folks are still able to access some of those things,” Rea said.
