Costco wins approval for first Macon warehouse, opening eyed for 2027

Costco cleared its first Macon warehouse project past the political gate Monday, turning a long-running rumor into a rezoning green light for a 158,000-square-foot store on Bass Road. The unanimous vote by the Bibb County Planning and Zoning Commission sets up the company’s next steps in north Macon: permitting, design work, and then the buildout that county officials have said could start in 2026.

The site covers just over 27 acres at 1990 Bass Road and 5384 New Forsyth Road, near The Shoppes at River Crossing and across from Dillard’s, about half a mile north of Interstate 75. Early plans call for 32 fueling positions, about 873 parking spaces and four loading docks, a layout aimed at a corridor that county staff said could see more than 6,300 vehicle trips on a typical weekday and more than 8,300 on Saturdays.

For workers, the most concrete number in the filing is staffing: the warehouse could open with 175 to 200 employees. The store would run from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on weekdays, while the gas station could open as early as 6 a.m. on weekdays, a schedule that suggests Costco wants the site working from the early commute through evening shopping traffic. County leaders have also framed the company as a draw because of its wages and benefits, a message that matters in a labor market where a warehouse opening often becomes one of the biggest hiring events in town.

The vote came after months of pre-development talks, including a meeting with company representatives on Nov. 21, 2025. Nearby residents and workers raised traffic concerns about Bass Road, New Forsyth Road, the Academy for Classical Education and the surrounding shopping district, while staff noted that Bass Road widening is not scheduled until 2028, leaving the store to open before that fix arrives. Traffic consultant John Harter said planned signal improvements along New Forsyth Road are part of the effort to keep the corridor moving.

District 1 Commissioner Valery Wynn backed the project, and Macon-Bibb officials have pitched Costco as proof the market is growing. The nearest existing Costco is in Stockbridge, about 60 miles away, so the new warehouse would give north Macon a first shot at the company’s model of high-volume retail, gas sales and a large hourly workforce. If permitting and design proceed on schedule, Costco’s Macon entry moves from approval to construction, with summer 2027 still the target.