Oakland's long-awaited first Costco now has real numbers attached to it. Planning documents on file at City Hall show the warehouse store planned for the former Oakland Army Base in West Oakland would cover about 166,800 square feet, employ about 400 people and come with a gas station and 947 parking spaces, The Mercury News reported Monday.

What the plans show

The store would sit at the corner of West Grand Avenue and Wake Avenue, on part of the old Army base in the city's North Gateway area, a few blocks from Raimondi Park. According to the filings:

  • Size: about 166,800 square feet. The San Francisco Business Times, which reviewed the same proposal, put the figure at 166,763 square feet and said that makes it almost 40% bigger than Costco's San Francisco store.
  • Jobs: about 400.
  • Parking: 947 spaces.
  • Gas: a fuel station, which the Business Times described as a 32-handle station.
  • Store hours: 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.
  • Fuel station hours: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, according to a summary of the filings.

No construction schedule or opening date has been made public.

How the deal got here

The Oakland City Council voted unanimously on July 7 to approve a two-year exclusive negotiation agreement with Costco Wholesale Corp. for city-owned land at 101 Admiral Robert Toney Way and 2308 Wake Avenue, about 23 acres in all, according to city records. The council's Community and Economic Development Committee had sent the item forward on a 4-0 vote on June 23.

Under the agreement, Costco pays the city $300,000 and can buy two six-month extensions for $25,000 each. During that window, Oakland negotiates with no other bidders for the site. The city waived competitive bidding, saying in its agenda report that Costco "is well positioned to follow through on a development where other parties may fail," KTVU reported.

The two sides still have to settle a long-term lease, site design, infrastructure and community benefits. City staff said those terms would follow earlier Army Base projects, including local hiring, workforce training and local and small business contracting rules, according to KTVU. Environmental review is also part of the negotiating period.

What Oakland expects to get

The city's report said the jobs would pay about $32 an hour on average. It estimated the store would bring in about $300 million a year in gross sales, which would mean roughly $2.2 million a year in new sales tax and about $720,000 in business license tax, KTVU reported. Mayor Barbara Lee has pointed to about $3 million in new annual tax revenue for city services.

"Not only does this mean easier bulk shopping, but it also brings 400+ high-quality jobs and $3 million in new annual tax revenue for City services," Lee wrote on social media after the council vote.

What comes next

The filings are an early step in the city's planning review, and the lease and project still need final approval. Public hearings on issues such as traffic and zoning would come later in that process. The city has not announced any hearing dates yet.