Cape Coral residents are rallying for a Costco to be built in their city. During our first WINK Listens event on Thursday, many asked why the city was not included on the list of Costco’s to come to the Southwest Florida area.

Currently, the closest Costco locations require a 30 to 45-minute drive, often with a toll, to reach Naples or Fort Myers.

“We just believe that we would like to have a Costco without having to pay a toll to cross the bridges to get to the ones in Collier County and Fort Myers,” said Shirley Hoffmann, a Cape Coral resident.

The buzz around a Collier County location has only fueled the push in Cape Coral. With thousands of new residents moving in each year and other counties attracting big-box retailers, many in Cape Coral feel it’s also time for their city to grow.

WINK News has contacted the City of Cape Coral and Costco for statements regarding a location; however, no response has been received.

The City of Cape Coral provided a statement from Sharon Woodberry, Economic Development Manager:

“The city has previously reached out to Costco to discuss the potential for a Cape Coral location. We’ve held several discussions with them; however, at this time, Costco has decided not to pursue a location in Cape Coral. We understand the community’s interest and will continue to engage and pursue future opportunities with Costco in hopes of attracting them to our market.” 

Residents hope their continued efforts will make it difficult for these entities to ignore their demands.

The next WINK Listens event will be held on Aug. 27 at the YMCA in North Collier County from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m.