THUNDER BAY -- Mayor Keith Hobbs is not happy someone at city hall appears to have leaked sensitive and confidential details of Costco’s possible arrival in Thunder Bay.
Multiple media reports Wednesday cite a city hall insider suggesting the box-store giant is looking at a pair of properties as a potential location, including Innova Park and near Thunder Bay International Airport. Developers later confirmed to Dougall Media they are indeed in talks with the City of Thunder Bay and confirmed both the two sites in question and the fact they are looking to build a 150,000 square foot store.
Hobbs, who said it’s no secret he’s been trying to lure Costco to the city, voiced concern at the leak, even jokingly suggesting a polygraph challenge be issued to members of council.
“I’d like to find out where that leak is coming from for sure,” Hobbs said. “That’s secondary though, to Costco wanting to be here. I’ve been working for two years to bring Costco here. I’ve heard so many members of the community say they want it.”
Innova Park is the favoured location, said Mike Rice, president of Rice Commercial Group.
"We are still a long, long way from getting there," he said in a phone interview with Thunder Bay Television. Site work and municipal approval are the two most pressing hurdles the company must surpass to make it a reality.
The second-largest retailer in the U.S., the company has made plenty of inroads into Canada, with 88 stores across the country. They operate 663 stores worldwide and earned more than $105 billion in global sales in 2013.
Costco officials last year told the Financial Post they would like to see that number grow to 110. More than 10 million Canadians hold Costco memberships, which sell for about $55 annually.
Hobbs said convincing the Seattle-based company to set up shop in Thunder Bay would not only create jobs, it would help cut down cross-border shopping.
“Our economy is suffering because of out-shopping, people going to Duluth and Minneapolis, shopping at Costco and Sam’s Club,” Hobbs said.
“We need to keep those dollars here in the community. If you look at the event centre we’re building, the new hotels, we’re encouraging people from the North Shore and Northwestern Ontario to come to Thunder Bay for a mini-vacation, a staycation.”
Pressed for details or a timeline to see Costco become a reality in Thunder Bay and Hobbs remained silent.
“I can’t mention where we’re at. That’s been leaked already and I’m not very happy about that,” he repeated. “These things involve land deals and those, according to the Municipal Act, are to be held in closed session. Those discussions, right now, shouldn’t be out in the public.”
This is an updated version of the story that now includes information from the developer involved.
