Costco rumors confirmed: The grocer wants to open in South Meridian. What now?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Costco plans a new store in South Meridian as part of a giant Brighton Corp. development.
- Some site work underway; road construction and improvements target August 2026 completion.
- Meridian developer plans additional retail, office space and housing near new Costco site.
Soon, shoppers in South Meridian and Kuna may no longer have to travel miles north or get on Interstate 84 to get to Costco.
Plans filed with the city of Meridian on June 20 confirm months of anticipation that Costco would link up with an 800-acre master-planned development in South Meridian to open its fourth Treasure Valley store.
The roughly 200,000-square-foot Costco Wholesale, plans now show, would sit on almost 24 acres at the southeast corner of Lake Hazel and Meridian roads, not far from the Kuna border, as part of Brighton Corp.’s Pinnacle development.
It would include a roughly 155,000-square-foot warehouse and connected distribution center, a gas station and more than 900 parking spots. The gas station would have 16 pumps.
The new application materials were part of a request by Costco and MG2, the architects of Costco’s North Meridian store, for design review by the city. Brighton already earned approval from the City Council in January to build the South Meridian store, along with 126 more acres of commercial and residential development, but Costco’s designs weren’t available at the time.
If the city signs off on the designs and issues a certificate of zoning compliance, next would come building permits, then construction.
Roadwork underway to service new Costco
Conceptual site plans indicated that Brighton would build two new roads running east from Meridian Road and two new roads running south from Lake Hazel. Those roads, called North and East Costco Way, Prevail Avenue and Spire Street, would provide access to the shopping center.
“We would build immediately upon approval,” said Brighton President of Development Jon Wardle at a public hearing on Jan. 14, referring to two of the internal roads.
Wardle’s presentation to the City Council showed June 2025 as the expected start of construction on those roads, with additional roads expected to be built starting in August. Road work already underway included the addition of an intersection on Lakel Hazel that would eventually extend south as Prevail, as well as preparation to eventually signalize that intersection at a later date, he said.
The goal, Wardle said, was to complete all roads and site improvements by August 2026, when the retailer would open, according to the presentation.
Lindsey Bowshier, Brighton’s director of marketing, told the Idaho Statesman by email that she would not have a status update in time for this story. Steve Bullock, a senior project manager for MG2 who submitted design plans for the Costco to the city, did not respond to emails from the Statesman inquiring about designs and additional approvals needed.
The Meridian Road Costco would join stores in Boise, North Meridian and Nampa. The latest plan filings were reported by KTVB.
Brighton’s planned Pinnacle development centers on the intersection of Meridian and Lake Hazel roads. A Costco is planned for the southeast corner.
Still in the works: More retail, housing
Also approved for the southeast corner of Meridian and Lake Hazel as part of the Pinnacle development are 100,000 square feet of “general retail” space, 100,000 square feet of medical or office space, and more than 58 acres of housing.
The exact types and numbers of homes in the residential area are not yet known, though application materials show a range of eight to 15 units per acre and possible multifamily housing. Brighton eventually would need to return to the city with more detailed plans.
Together, the 150 acres of development make up Pinnacle’s “principal commercial component.”
Northwest of the planned Costco, Brighton has already built 358 homes as part of Pinnacle and could add roughly 1,600 more by full build-out.
This story was originally published July 4, 2025 at 4:00 AM.
