After the San Jose City Council on Oct. 22 gave the green light for a new Costco location to be built in the Westgate West shopping center, residents are split over whether the store will be a positive addition to the surrounding area.
The store will be located at 5287 Prospect Road in San Jose, right off of the busy Lawrence Expressway that connects parts of Sunnyvale, Saratoga, Santa Clara and West San Jose. The project has received widespread pushback from community members who worried that a new Costco would bring more cars to an already heavily trafficked area, which is also close to residential areas and schools, including Prospect High School in Saratoga. But others are eager to have a new shopping space, and look favorably at the project because of the $2 million in sales tax revenues it is forecast to bring in annually to San Jose.
The roughly 165,000-square-foot warehouse store will rest on the site of several vacant Westgate stores, including the former Orchard Supply Hardware. The space will include 687 new parking spaces and feature tire sales and installation, a general grocery section, a retail store, pharmacy and bakery, among other services…