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Business & Tech

Costco Coming to Cumming?

Negotiations for purchase of the property on Bald Ridge Marina Road have stalled.

Plans to build a Costco store in Cumming may have come to a standstill, but city officials say they’re hopeful plans will move forward, possibly within the next couple of weeks.

“From what I understand, there is some negotiating between the land owners and Costco,” City Administrator Steve Bennett said. “We’re really optimistic that they can work it out, whatever that may be. We haven’t been told that anyone’s backed out of it and that it won’t happen.”

According to The Forsyth Herald, Emory Lipscomb, a Cumming attorney representing the owner of the property at the intersection of Bald Ridge Marina Road and Market Place Boulevard, told media outlets that he and fellow attorney Jim Butler “chose to turn down Costco's proposal.”

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Lipscomb did not return a phone call from Cumming Patch seeking comment.

Although it appears a deal for the sale of the land hasn’t been reached, the land for the 148,000 square-foot building and its 650 space parking lot has been cleared and grading work has started, Bennett said. Hay and grass also have been put down to prevent erosion.

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“Maybe there was some work done in good faith,” Bennett said.

The city is funding infrastructure improvements in the area.

“We thought this would be a good time to do it,” the city administrator said. “We’re not going to stop if the project (does).”

Bennett said he thinks a deal may be reached in the next couple of weeks.

“I would think sooner rather than later,” he said. “If it doesn’t work out, there probably would have to be at a later date more measures put on there for erosion. You don’t want to extend all that if you’re planning to bulldoze that all up.”

Costco hasn’t applied for a business license or building permit, but the contractor was granted a clearing and grubbing permit, and just last month, the city council approved an alcohol permit, which is required for commercial properties in multiple-use districts.

Jeff Brotman, chairman of the board for Costco, declined to comment on the store slated for Forsyth County.

“We don’t talk about anything that isn’t a done deal,” Brotman said. “We’re not going to talk about Cumming.”

Before it stalled, the project was slated to be completed in November.

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