Costco Coming to Albany? Not so Fast

There have been plans to build a Costco in the area of Crossgates Mall in Guilderland but recently a judge has found mistakes in the project and has put a halt to it. Here are the details. According to News Channel 13, there has been quite an uprising from residents near where a developer hopes to build a Costco, a gas station, and a two hundred twenty-two residential apartment building. Now a state judge agrees that the plans are at a standstill.

Even though there are buildings and homes that have been vacant and other eye-sores in the area, many residents say they would rather have those than a one thousand fifty-eight thousand square foot Costco warehouse store in their neighborhood.

The area of the proposed new buildings near Crossgates Mall is also home to important wildlife. One resident who doesn't want any more commercial development in the area says that there are rare species that would be displaced including the Karner butterfly, bats, and birds that reside near the Albany Pine Bush.

The Guilderland Planning Board gave the Pyramid Corporation the green light to go ahead with the Costco project. But residents filed a lawsuit and State Judge Peter Lynch stated that there were many mistakes made by the planning board. So for now, there will be no Costco built.

The Pyramid Group and the Guilderland Planning Board will most likely refile and try to get the plans in order to reapply. We will have to wait and see.