Costco Mulls New Retail Location in Leominster

Costco Wholesale is evaluating its plans to open what would be the only location in Central Massachusetts for the retail chain. The Costco addition would be part of a larger revamp of The Mall at Whitney Field property in Leominster.

In a statement provided to the Worcester Business Journal (WBJ), Leominster Mayor Dean Mazzarella said discussions between Costco and the property's owner, Hull Property Group in Atlanta, are continuing for the project. Plans call for the warehouse club giant to construct a store at the site of this mall, which was first built in 1967.

“I don't think you can find a better location in Worcester County,” Mazzarella said about the proposal to the WBJ. “I'm confident the project will happen.”

According to the WBJ's reporting, plans and renderings for the project were discovered as part of a bid posted on PlanHub. The construction-focused website connects general contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers.

Documents on PlanHub detail a significant portion of the mall's northern section to be demolished to accommodate Costco and a proposed gas station that Costco would operate. The current JCPenneys at the mall would remain, but the documents reveal a plan that involves demolishing the space formerly occupied by Sears and Filene's.

In these plans, Costco would be a standalone 152,000-square-foot building not attached to the existing mall structure.

According to a statement on its website, Costco does not comment on details surrounding new locations until three months before their opening. The Seattle-based retailer operates more than 600 locations. Its Massachusetts stores include those in Avon, Danvers, Dedham, Everett, Sharon, Waltham, and West Springfield.

Hull Property Group also did not respond to requests from the WBJ for comments on the plan.