By Kara Fohner
ASHEVILLE – After months of discussion with city leaders and staff, Costco has submitted new plans to build a store in the city of Asheville, the city said Sept. 15.
Costco in February withdrew its application to develop at Enka Commerce Park after multiple delays before the city of Asheville Planning and Zoning Commission, the Citizen Times previously reported.
The company had proposed building a Costco at 264 Enka Heritage Parkway last September. The proposal included a 32-pump fueling station and a tire center. The facility would have been Western North Carolina’s first Costco.
When the company withdrew its application, it also terminated its purchase contract, Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer told the Citizen Times Sept. 15.
At the time, Costco faced three sets of issues: Department of Transportation requirements, building code requirements, and site issues the company needed to negotiate with the seller, Manheimer said.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation released a traffic study in late 2025 indicating nearly 16,000 additional motorists would be added to Interstate 40 Exit 44 every day with the addition of Costco.
The site at Enka Commerce Park is also a brownfield site, meaning that it was formerly used for manufacturing and had environmental contamination.
Manheimer said that after Costco pulled from the deal, she met with city staff and they discussed the challenges the company was facing. She also remained in discussion with the sellers, the Department of Transportation and representatives from Costco.
“I think this is exciting for Asheville. This is what people have said to me they want,” Manheimer said. “This goes to the core of affordability issues from families living here that are dealing with all kinds of rising costs. Any way to chip away at those rising costs is pretty critical for folks.”
The new store will be 168,258 square feet, with 914 parking spaces, according to planning documents filed with the city.