In-town Costco? (Houston, Dallas, Plano: fit in, to buy, live)

[PinkLadyK]

Anyone know if there are any plans to open a Costco in town? I want to join, but the gas I'd use driving from near SMU to Plano would cancel out any potential savings. Thanks.

[TurtleCreek80]

Nope. But there is a new Sam's Club opening next fall @ Skillman & Northwest Highway. Not as fun as Costco, but still.....

[hamiltonpl]

No. Trammell Crow tried to get them to come to the new shopping center at Skillman and Northwest Highway. But Costco refused. It said that people from the Park Cities do not cross central and that they were going to build at NorthPark. Which if anyone understands NorthPark or the Park Cities, that is absolutely ridiculous. A Costco right between Barneys and Neimans? I don't think so. And as a kid growing up in Highland Park, my parents would often shop at the Sam's across central in addition to other places.

Costco seems oblivious to the way Central Dallas operates. I think they're better off building in cow pastures.

[pepper131]

I heard the most ridiculous thing about Costco not being w/in the city of Dallas - there is someone in our city government that also sits on the Sam's/Walmart board and that person somehow is preventing Costco from enterring the city. An employee at a Costco told me that after I told them even Houston has a Costco right near Upper Kirby and River Oaks.

[hamiltonpl]

Originally Posted by pepper131

I heard the most ridiculous thing about Costco not being w/in the city of Dallas - there is someone in our city government that also sits on the Sam's/Walmart board and that person somehow is preventing Costco from enterring the city. An employee at a Costco told me that after I told them even Houston has a Costco right near Upper Kirby and River Oaks.

I think that is just a conspiracy. The city doesn't get to decide what businesses are located in the city. Also, I don't see any member of the Sam's/WalMart board who lives in Dallas.

I know for a fact that Trammell Crow asked Costco to build at the Timbercreek site before Trammell Crow contacted Wal-Mart. My brother-in-law was the project manager for the Timbercreek site.

He was new to Dallas at the time and told me Costco was adamant about staying within the tollway and Central and planned to build at NorthPark (because "nobody from the Park Cities or North Dallas travels across Central"). (Which is absolutely nutty). The reason they thought they would fit in at NorthPark is because they sold more Dom Peringion than anyone else. They also thought they could build in one of the empty lots or the Biblical Arts Center.

He first contacted Costco, but they shut him down for those reasons so TC pitched it to Wal-Mart next. Wal-Mart is evidently a tough negotiator and hard to deal with as far as the design of the store goes. The city never complained about Wal-Mart vs. Costco, but there was a lot of concern about diverting a creek.

By the way, my brother-in-law worked at Trammell Crow in Houston before and was the one who got them to build their store near River Oaks.

[Lakewooder]

Supposedly lifting alcohol restrictions might attract them to North Dallas inside LBJ.

Thinking of potential sites I would say Walnut Hill at Central, maybe the old Sam's on Greenville at Park, Steakley Chevrolet site across from Timbercreek or maybe City Place (east of Central). Possibly in the Maple Avenue or Design District. I don't know why they think they have to be right next to Park Cities. I don't usually go to Costco except in California and those seem to be in fairly middle class areas.

[cmacemm]

Costco is where the $30K millionaire goes to shop
Not where the old money in HP/UP shops

[hamiltonpl]

Originally Posted by Lakewooder

Supposedly lifting alcohol restrictions might attract them to North Dallas inside LBJ.

Thinking of potential sites I would say Walnut Hill at Central, maybe the old Sam's on Greenville at Park, Steakley Chevrolet site across from Timbercreek or maybe City Place (east of Central). Possibly in the Maple Avenue or Design District. I don't know why they think they have to be right next to Park Cities. I don't usually go to Costco except in California and those seem to be in fairly middle class areas.

Yeah, that Steakley Chevrolet Place would be perfect for a big box store. As much as I don't like them, that site is really made for a big retailer. Walnut Hill or the old Sam's would be good too.

The Park Cities fascination is weird to me too. Park Cities residents will go to the closest Sam's/Wal-Mart or Costco -- across Central or otherwise. Everybody went to Sam's (even across Central) growing up in the Park Cities. Plus, they don't think of Costco as "upscale." But Costco seems to think of itself as such. Weird.

[TurtleCreek80]

Originally Posted by cmacemm

Costco is where the $30K millionaire goes to shop
Not where the old money in HP/UP shops

Old money types love to buy 100-roll packs of toilet paper for $10.....and they love a great deal on a case of Dom. How do you think they got to be "old money"?

[Spree]

>>He was new to Dallas at the time and told me Costco was adamant about staying within the tollway and Central and planned to build at NorthPark (because "nobody from the Park Cities or North Dallas travels across Central").<<

Doesn't seem to hurt Central Market.