Over the last few years, there have been many speculations on certain restaurants and stores coming to Grand Junction but on Wednesday, October 4, the City Council turned one of those speculations into confirmation, approving with a 7-0 vote that a Costco will be built off of I-70. According to the city, Costco will add more than $64 million in sales and property tax revenue over 20 years. In the valley, Costco will bring many positive changes to Mesa County, such as offering new quality jobs that pay well. Riley O’Hara, a sophomore at Palisade High School is an avid Costco lover and had her first experience entering a Costco a few months ago when she was in Denver. “My first experience in Costco was pretty cool, there was a lot of everything, and everything was three times the size it is here.” Costco is described as a membership warehouse club that is known for selling a variety of merchandise in bulk. Costco is the third largest retailer in the world and has hundreds of locations worldwide. O’Hara states, “My favorite thing about Costco is that it is like a Disneyland version of a grocery store… It has really good grocery store sushi, so that is what I usually get when I go there.” O’Hara explains how her family of five often goes to stores like Sprouts to get their groceries and having a Costco locally in Grand Junction would allow them to get some of the food items they would typically get but in bulk. Although big corporations, coming into relatively small cities have their downsides such as overriding locally owned ‘mom and pop’ businesses, Costco will simplify the lives of many due to its variety of items in bulk. “ I am excited about Costco coming to Junction, and my family is planning on getting a membership when it comes. Being able to buy things in bulk for our big family will be nice” The Grand Junction Costco will not make its debut until 2026 however the excitement of the job opportunities it will provide, and the ability to simplify the lives of the people will not stop until it gets here.
