A proposed Costco warehouse in Los Angeles is generating buzz online, in part because the store would sit directly beneath 800 apartments.
The 5-acre mixed-use building would include prefabricated apartments, a rooftop pool, a basketball court, a fitness area, and a Costco, among other amenities, according to developer Thrive Living.
“Our company is focused on addressing the severe housing affordability crisis in Los Angeles while also attracting retailers willing to make long-term commitments and deliver community-serving products and services that enrich the living experience for our residents and neighbors,” Jordan Brill of Thrive Living wrote in a statement.
Although Costco has built warehouses on mixed-use lots before —one Houston location is below a fitness center — the layout is unusual for a retailer that usually requires large, open spaces for superstores that average 146,000 square feet.
Fantastic for Los Angeles. Although, I'd argue Vancouver did it much better 20 years ago with its Costco in downtown at the bottom of high-rise residential towers. https://t.co/D9a1Vh9Ub0
— Kenneth Chan (@iamkennethchan) January 26, 2023
Costco superfans on Reddit responded positively to the news, with many commending the development for its mixed-use format.
“Glad to see it, people should be able to live/eat/play in their neighborhoods without having to get into a car,” one r/Costco member writes.
“Just think, you could ride the elevator down daily and pick up the food you wanted to cook for that day's dinner,” another user wrote.
While many applauded the plan, some fans were concerned about parking, traffic, and affordability, though Thrive Living at least partially addressed those concerns in its press release.
For instance, the developer said that they’d set aside more than 20% of the building’s units for low-income residents and that the building would include some above- and below-ground parking. What’s more, the Baldwin Hills lot at 5035 Coliseum St. is just over a 10-minute walk from the Expo/La Brea metro station.
Still, local residents and business owners like John Cleveland have expressed some trepidation about the building.
“I think for the most part, there are a little bit of nerves around all these changes that everybody knows are in the works,” Cleveland told the Los Angeles Times, adding that Costco could "really change the whole neighborhood."
Despite all the coverage and excitement surrounding the development, Thrive Living is still in the planning phase and has yet to submit a full application to the city of Los Angeles, Insider reports.
If approved, the new Costco warehouse would create an estimated 400 jobs in the area.
Gallery: Costco's Highest-Rated Stores Across the U.S., According to Shoppers
