110 more reasons to go to Costco that don’t involve hot dogs

If you’ve ever driven around and around in the Costco parking lot in Kennewick looking for a parking spot, this is welcome news.

Costco Wholesale is relieving parking pressure at its Tri-Cities store with a new 110-space parking lot.

The Issaquah-based wholesaler began construction behind its Kennewick store after securing permits from the city of Kennewick in June.

The new lot will offer driveway access on the south side of Costco’s 16-acre property, where it’s bordered by North Louisiana Street, West Quinault Avenue and West Grandridge Boulevard.

The lot is earmarked for employees, which will free up some of the 813 existing spaces for Costco’s member-customers.

The expansion across from the Great Harvest Bread Co. will include new lighting, landscaping and drainage. Kent-based Barghausen Consulting Engineers Inc. designed the project.

The additional parking should be better received than last week’s reports that polish hot dogs are going off the menu at many Costco stores around the region.

Already, petitions on Change.org and Care2 had been signed by nearly 12,000 polish dog supporters by Friday afternoon, trying to “convince Costco to keep this culinary classic.”

Costco arrived in the Tri-Cities in 1987 when it opened at what is now Ranch & Home on Columbia Center.

It built a new, 154,746-square-foot store at 8505 W. Gage Blvd. in 2000.

This story was originally published July 13, 2018 at 12:35 PM.