Hate experiencing mindless traffic in Fresno? Who doesn’t. Traffic has always been a bane in West Fresno (W Shaw), thanks to railroad tracks that often have trains passing through, sometimes moving at sloth pace or not moving at all. But even without trains ruining the day, traffic is even more exuberant around the nearby Costco at W Shaw and Blythe, with huge backups further thanks to a badly placed Costco Gas station that is also the smallest compared to the Clovis and North Fresno locations. But now this Costco location is calling it quits when its lease expires next year.
Costco will relocate, building a new warehouse in an empty lot, West of a Darrel’s Mini Storage near W Herndon and Riverside, nearly 4 miles away from the W Shaw one. Costco intended this location to be the largest Costco in the world (surpassing Salt Lake City’s massive 235,000 square feet), but that was met with opposition from the Fresno City Council. The concerns were traffic related, as the new location is surrounded by a school, residential area, and a golf course. Costco has agreed to pay for improving road conditions and safety, and the warehouse’s proposed size has been scaled down, but it will still stand as one of the largest at 219,000 square feet, complete with a huge 32-pump gas station, a car wash, and a dedicated food delivery service. And no adjacent train tracks!
Source: SF Gate