CAPE CORAL, Fla. (WINK) — A Costco in Cape Coral is one step closer to becoming a reality after City Council approved a $10 million incentive agreement Monday night, but some residents are concerned about what the development could mean for traffic.
The agreement helps move forward plans for a 165,000-square-foot Costco warehouse and gas station at the intersection of Pine Island Road and Chiquita Boulevard.
For many Cape Coral residents, the new location would mean no longer having to drive to Fort Myers to shop at Costco.
Cape Coral resident John Benedict says that convenience is something he’s looking forward to.
“I love it because I’ve always been a Costco fan in other locations, and the Costco here is about 20 miles away, so to have it two miles away is a big advantage,” Benedict said.
However, Benedict is also concerned about the additional traffic the development could bring to an already busy Pine Island Road.
“Well, all of Pine Island could be widened. I’m fascinated by the fact that even on weekends you can drive down Pine Island, and find a lot of traffic,” Benedict said.
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Other residents also anticipate an increase in traffic if the Costco is built.
But not everyone is worried about more cars on the road.
St. James City resident Ann Frakes says she’s willing to deal with additional congestion in exchange for a shorter drive.
“I’m not too concerned about it. It gets busy when the snowbirds come down, anyway, so just got to go with the flow, I guess,” Frakes said.
“I’d rather get in a little traffic around here than go all the way over to Fort Myers because that’s plenty of traffic there,” she added.
The approved incentive agreement includes improvements to Chiquita Boulevard, including additional turn lanes and a traffic signal.
But questions remain about whether Pine Island Road will need to be widened or additional traffic signals installed to accommodate more vehicles.
WINK News reached out to the City of Cape Coral about those concerns.
The city says traffic impacts will be evaluated before construction begins, and improvements such as additional turn lanes or traffic signals along Pine Island Road could be added if needed.
However, there is no confirmation yet on whether Pine Island Road will be widened.
Monday night’s approval marks another step toward bringing Costco to Cape Coral, although construction and an opening date have not yet been announced.
WINK News will continue following the development and its potential impact on traffic in the area.