Asheville's long-running effort to attract a Costco took a significant step forward October 13, when City Council unanimously approved conditional zoning for a proposed warehouse store in Enka.

The approval advances a project that has been discussed for years, but it does not mean the store is built or that a firm opening date is guaranteed.

What is planned for the Enka site?

Plans call for a 168,258-square-foot Costco warehouse near Enka Heritage Parkway and Sand Hill Road, on land associated with the former American Enka industrial complex.

The development is expected to include a fueling station with 32 pumps, approximately 914 parking spaces, and space for customers arriving by bicycle or on foot.

Published plans also describe a multiuse path and efforts to preserve the historic Enka Clock Tower as a recognizable feature of the area.

When could Costco open?

Representatives have outlined a tentative schedule that includes additional design and permitting work, a possible groundbreaking in summer 2027, and a target opening in spring 2028.

Those dates are projections rather than commitments. Construction schedules can change as projects work through engineering, infrastructure requirements and other approvals.

Traffic and trees remain part of the discussion

The proposed store is likely to attract customers from Asheville, Candler, Canton and surrounding mountain communities. That is part of its appeal, but residents have also raised questions about congestion near Sand Hill Road and nearby neighborhoods and schools.

Tree preservation has also been debated. City approvals include project-specific provisions addressing canopy coverage, alongside landscaping and transportation requirements.

The October vote therefore marks a meaningful planning milestone without eliminating every question about the project's effects on the surrounding area.

What does this mean for local businesses and shoppers?

If completed, Costco would add a large membership-based warehouse retailer to a region whose shoppers have often traveled outside Western North Carolina to visit one.

The project could bring retail and construction jobs and draw additional shopping activity to the Enka area. Specific employment totals and opening details remain dependent on the development proceeding.

For now, the most important takeaway is that the city has approved the needed conditional zoning. The next milestones are technical approvals, construction preparation and evidence that the projected schedule is holding.

828 Daily will follow the project as those steps unfold.