Staff Writer
Apex
Town Council members voted 4-1 on Tuesday night to rezone a 35-acre plot of
land along U.S. Highway 64 from a residential area to a commercial area, paving
the path for the first Costco discount warehouse in western Wake County. Costco
is known for its low prices and wide variety of stock items.
The
new shopping center, known as Nichols Plaza, will include 300,000 square feet
of retail, restaurants, and other commercial space. The development is set to
break ground in early 2014 between Laura Duncan Road and Lake Pine Drive,
essentially placing it directly across from Apex High School. Construction most
likely will not be complete until 2015, so Apex seniors will likely miss out on
the new development.
Some
residents have expressed concern over increased traffic flow in the area as a
result of the development. However, supporters of the plaza point out the fact
that the Costco-anchored shopping center would add 250 new jobs to the local
economy and would also earn millions of dollars in tax revenue. Apex resident
Dylan Tastet says, “This Costco is going to bring a lot of cash flow to our
community, and it’s really going to help us out. It’s going to employ a lot of
people around here and improve the area in general.”
Nichols
Plaza is expected to cost $50 million to $60 million to develop, and it is
currently unclear what other retailers might be a part of the development.
