Costco plans gas station
for Iwilei site in November
Costco Wholesale is shooting for a November opening for a gas station slated for construction across from its Iwilei store on Alakawa Street.
"We're expecting to break ground on (Monday) and are hoping to get it open prior to Thanksgiving," said Paul Latham, the company's gasoline vice president.
Permitting and design delays over the last year had pushed back groundbreaking on the 16-stall station, he said.
The news comes at a time of climbing gas prices in Hawaii. Regular unleaded presently averages $2.10 per gallon in the state, according to AAA Hawaii. Costco Waipio was charging $1.899 a gallon for regular yesterday afternoon.
Latham said Costco is still pursuing plans for a gas station at its Maui location and would like to expand its Hawaii Kai operation to include a gas station as well.
The company has been talking with Hawaii Kai landowner Kamehameha Schools about expanding its Hawaii Kai Town Center facilities.
"There's no date to do that. I don't know that its completely resolved yet, but we would add some parking and a gas station," he said.
Expanding in Hawaii Kai would mean tenants in the adjacent Hawaii Kai Medical and Office Plaza, which includes a Kaiser Permanente clinic, would have to relocate. At 110,000 square feet, the Hawaii Kai Costco is smaller than its sister stores and has a smaller selection of prepared foods. Costco's Iwilei and Waipio stores each occupy 150,000 square feet.
