‘Worst kept secret’: Windsor’s second Costco moving ahead as site work hits halfway mark

A second Costco location in Windsor has been confirmed and it’s halfway built. CTV Windsor’s Chris Campbell has more.

Site preparation for Windsor’s long-anticipated second Costco store has reached the halfway point, with the developer saying construction is on schedule for a 2026 opening.

Rocco Tullio, president of Rock Developments, said crews are making steady progress at the future big-box store site behind Home Depot on Tecumseh Road East.

“Yes, we’re moving quite well there. We’re probably about 50 per cent complete. And I would say that we’re right on target where we should be,” Tullio said in an interview with CTV News.

Tullio credited the City of Windsor for helping speed up a process that he said normally takes years.

“The city has been great. David Simpson and the mayor and all their support staff, because if it wasn’t for them, to be honest with you, I think if we were any other municipality, we’d still be trying to finalize all these approvals,” he said.

“The city really provided all support we needed to get it done in probably half the time.”

The $130 million development, which Tullio described as highly complex, involved an environmental assessment, land assembly, re-zoning, severances, expropriations, and multiple ministry and Indigenous approvals.

“We tied up this land in August 2023,” he said.

“To be able to have everything, including the infrastructure, in about 28 months. It should have been a four-year project. We did it in 28 months.”

Rock Developments expects to turn the site over to Costco construction crews by mid-December.

“We’re expecting turnover of the infrastructure, which would be the roads and the pond and all the services for the entire area by Dec. 15,” Tullio said.

“We’re prepping the site, their pad, and providing services to their lot line and then they come in. I think they’re going to try to start this year, some of the work, and then restart that back up. They want to be open sometime in 2026. They haven’t finalized the date and they’re pretty guarded in terms of all that kind of stuff.”

Tullio said working with the retail giant has been a positive experience.

“They’re a great organization to work with. They’re very meticulous and they’re very, very detailed,” he said.

“So, this is the first one we’ve worked with them on, but hopefully many more coming down the road with them, also in other municipalities.”

Windsor city councillor Gary Kaschak, who represents the area, said the new location has been an open secret for some time.

“Probably the worst kept secret in Windsor here about the new Costco location,” Kaschak said.

“Certainly, real good help from our administration staff… they really did a lot of work behind the scenes for us. Of course, the politicians got involved and wanted this to happen, and they made it a collaborative effort for sure.”

Kaschak said residents in his ward and across the city are eager to see the new store open.

“Many people are happy. Costco is a destination for a lot of people, and they use it regularly,” he said.

“The trip out to Walker Road was contentious at times with traffic and parking. Tecumseh Road was upgraded many years ago to a six-lane road with lots of turning lanes … so it’s going to be easier to get to. And I think it’s going to be a site, quite a property tax driver for the City of Windsor here in the long run.”

Kaschak called the development “good news for the city” and said it will bring both convenience and economic growth.