Kelowna's brand new Costco opens to the public on Thursday

We’re less than 24 hours away from the grand opening of Kelowna’s brand new Costco.

The new 167,177-square-foot warehouse will open between Springfield, Baron and Leckie roads at 7 am on Thursday.

A pair of items the new Costco has in stock will surely have a few people lining up early next Thursday.

Those would be a brand new PS5 or Xbox Series X, which many have been struggling to try and buy since their release in November 2020.

"Come opening day, we have lots of stock," said Costco Kelowna GM Omara Escobar. "Not just PS5, but some Xbox action as well."

"In addition, we have promised you a better selection of foods that are ethnic, and I'm proud to say that we did deliver."

It won't just be electronics or food, however, as Escobar promised an expanded selection in general, something many have been looking forward to with this bigger Costco location.

There’s no doubt the new building will be a busy place on Thursday and in the days that follow, much like the company’s new gas station next door has been since opening on Dec. 10.

A new Costco location in Kelowna has long been in the works, as the current warehouse, built in 1991, has struggled to keep up with the city’s growing population and demand for memberships.

There were rumours in 2018 that Costco was looking to the Westside for its relocation, which were fueled by a social media post from former West Kelowna mayor Doug Findlater.

However, those rumours were quickly shot down by the City of Kelowna and put to rest for good in November 2020.

That’s when Costco filed an application with the City of Kelowna to rezone the nearly six-hectare parcel of land between Springfield, Baron and Leckie roads for the new warehouse.

That rezoning application was approved by city council in January 2021 by a vote of 7-2.

"During the 2018 election it was clear that residents wanted to keep Costco in the city," said councillor Luke Stack at the time. "Sites like this are basically impossible to find and while it may not be perfect, it's the best option."

Around 60 new jobs are expected to be created by Costco’s expansion and relocation, bringing the number of people employed by the company in Kelowna to more than 500.