Local Economic Coalition Opposes Proposed Costco at Enka Park

On Dec. 29, 2025, the Economic Development Coalition for Asheville-Buncombe County voted to oppose locating a proposed Costco at Enka Commerce Park, saying the project would not align with long-range economic goals for wages and the local tax base. The coalition’s executive director, Clark Duncan, sent an email to all seven Asheville City Council members in late October outlining the group’s objections and urging the council to reject a rezoning request.

The proposal from Costco seeks to develop 25 acres within Enka Commerce Park and would include a store with 839 parking spaces. Building at that site would require the city to approve a conditional zoning amendment, meaning the final decision rests with Asheville city officials. The coalition’s opposition centers on the potential loss of the city’s last remaining industrial development site to retail use, which the EDC argues would undermine efforts to raise household wages and expand a tax base that funds essential public services.

“By every measure, wages, tax base, and land use, the rezoning of Enka Commerce Park for Costco is simply not in Asheville’s best long-term interest,” Duncan wrote to council members. He added that while a national retailer can offer convenience, the proposed location would not advance recovery from Tropical Storm Helene or strengthen the fiscal foundation the county needs to sustain services. “While we all enjoy the convenience and appeal of a nationally respected retailer like Costco, it will not grow local wages, accelerate recovery, or strengthen our fiscal foundation at this specific location,” Duncan wrote.

Costco has searched for a Buncombe County location for decades, and many local shoppers currently travel to Spartanburg or Greenville, South Carolina, to reach the nearest stores. Supporters of the project have cited increased retail options and consumer convenience, while opponents emphasize long-term land-use strategy and municipal finance. The EDC framed its opposition within broader planning recommendations that call for aligning workforce development, infrastructure investment and targeted land use to raise household incomes and bolster municipal revenues.

For Buncombe County residents, the debate will affect how scarce industrial land is preserved or reallocated, with direct implications for job quality, the types of businesses that can locate here, and the tax revenues that support schools, roads and emergency services. The City Council will ultimately decide whether to grant the conditional zoning amendment required for Costco to proceed, and council members now hold competing priorities as they weigh immediate consumer demand against long-term economic strategy.