Costco, which operates a chain of membership-only big-box warehouse club retail stores, is planning to add a new store location in southern Milwaukee County.
On Tuesday, the Franklin Common Council approved a contract for a traffic analysis report for a Costco that could be built near the intersection of Drexel Avenue and 27th Street.
Franklin’s city documents do not explicitly state where the Costco would be built. City officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
The Franklin intersections being studied for the traffic analysis are:
- 31st Street with Rawson Avenue
- 31st Street with Drexel Avenue
- Northwestern Mutual Way with Drexel Avenue
- Northwestern Mutual Way with the Costco North Driveway
- Northwestern Mutual Way with the Costco South Driveway
“The study will consist of review of the Costco TIA analysis for the above intersections and will also include additional traffic analysis with the inclusion of the traffic to/from the proposed Oak Creek mixed-use development on the northeast quadrant of 27th Street with Drexel Avenue,” according to the documents.
The mixed-use development in question is from Wauwatosa-based Wangard Partners and Pewaukee-based Siepmann Realty Corp. That project is in the city limits of Oak Creek and includes 538 residential units, as well as an undisclosed amount of commercial space for undisclosed tenants, according to plans reviewed by the City of Oak Creek last month.
The initial analysis for a Franklin location was completed by Milwaukee-based engineering and consulting firm GRAEF. The review will be completed by Cedarburg-based Traffic Analysis & Design Inc.
The firm is also being tasked with reviewing a GRAEF study of the access and queuing issues at the Pleasant Prairie Costco.
“The goal would be to avoid the driveway operational issues, safety issues, and queuing issues currently being experienced at the Pleasant Prairie site,” according to the Franklin documents.
The news comes after plans were announced for a Costco in Oconomowoc last month, adding to its roster of stores in Menomonee Falls, Grafton, Pewaukee, New Berlin and Pleasant Prairie.
Costco warehouse stores are an average of 146,000 square feet, according to the company’s website. Costco stores usually include a pharmacy, food court, tire center and gas station, among other special departments.
Costco did not immediately respond to request for comment.
