Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell has signed off on a zoning amendment that clears the way for a Costco at 21 Coslin Drive, the long-vacant parcel off Route 9 and I-495 in Southborough. The decision removes a major legal hurdle and moves the long-discussed project into the town permitting phase, with officials eyeing a possible summer 2027 opening.
The AG's office approved Article 1, a zoning change that creates a new "highway major retail" use tailored to the property. The town needed that sign-off before the bylaw could take effect, according to MetroWest Daily News. With that box checked, the Town Meeting vote stands, and developers can finally shift from zoning debates to permit applications.
Framingham-based Atlantic Management Corp. closed on the 17.81-acre parcel at the end of January, paying about $6.9 million, according to public deed records cited by the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. Town Meeting members had already approved the targeted zoning change last fall, with the article passing by a lopsided 771 to 12 margin, and Select Board members have said a Costco could help broaden Southborough’s commercial tax base, according to reporting by the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. Local officials have told reporters the store could open by summer 2027, which would make it the first full Costco in Central Massachusetts in decades, according to WROR.
Next steps and timeline
With the AG's approval in hand, the project now heads into the special permit and site plan review process. Town planners say the developer is expected to file detailed plans and a traffic study in the coming months. Attorneys for Atlantic Management have told the Planning Board they are working to decommission the existing building on site and prepare the property for demolition and environmental remediation, according to My Southborough. Once a formal application is submitted, public hearings are expected on stormwater management, traffic mitigation, and circulation in and out of the site.
Alcohol vote and approvals
A special Town Meeting is scheduled for April 11 to decide whether the proposed Costco will be allowed to sell alcohol. Even if residents approve alcohol sales locally, the plan would still need state approval before any liquor license could be issued, according to MetroWest Daily News. That vote will run on a separate track from site permitting and could influence the timing of any future liquor license application.
What residents can expect
Traffic, noise, and store hours are likely to dominate public comment once Planning Board hearings begin. Consultants are expected to be tasked with proposing mitigation plans for nearby intersections and key stretches of roadway, the Telegram reporting notes. Supporters argue that a Costco at the site will draw in additional retailers and boost commercial tax revenue, a tradeoff town leaders say could ease some of the property tax burden on homeowners.
Developers and town officials expect a formal site plan submission in the coming months, followed by scheduled public hearings before the Planning Board. If permitting and approvals stay on track, construction could begin within the next year and the store could open as early as summer 2027. The actual timeline, though, will ultimately depend on how the hearings unfold and when final permits are granted.
