Latest news with #LoriBlong
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
180,000-square-foot Costco, biggest in Texas, will open this summer. Here's where
Costco will soon open its largest store in Texas, along with two more overseas. A 180,000-square-foot store in Midland will welcome customers this summer. Known for its wide selection of bulk items and unbeatable deals, Costco is a crowd favorite not just for shopping but also for its iconic food court offerings, including its famous pizza and $1.50 hot dog-and-soda combo that has stood the test of time. The addition of the retail giant is expected to draw excitement from Midland residents and beyond, bringing in customers from across the Permian Basin and West Texas. Currently, the largest Costco in proximity is about 117 miles north in Lubbock. Outside of Lubbock, West Texans would have to travel to El Paso or Fort Worth for the second-closest store, both of which are at least four hours away. Costco and Midland officials gathered to break ground on Dec. 10 of last year. Midland Mayor Lori Blong praised the company's efficiency in fast-tracking the permitting process and construction timeline. Although the incentives to bring Costco to Midland required the store to open no later than August 2026, the retail giant is now on track to welcome customers this July. "Back in 2019-2020, we were in talks with Costco, but the pandemic and economic shifts put those plans on hold. We thought it was a lost opportunity," Blong said at the event. "But through perseverance and collaboration, we've made it happen." Costco lists three locations with future opening dates on its "Coming Soon" page. The company's website says warehouses will open in: Pyeongtaek, South Korea in June 2025 Malmo, Sweeden in July 2025 Midland, Texas in July of 2025 Costco opened a spate of stores in March, including: Brentwood, California Highland, California Sharon, Massachusetts Genesee County, Michigan Prosper, Texas Weatherford, Texas The company followed that by opening the following locations in April: Stuart, Florida Ardeer, Australia Minami Alps, Japan CEO Ron Vachris said prior to the California openings that the company has "big plans for the rest of the fiscal year," which ends Aug. 31. Costco operates more than 800 stores around the world, with 627 in the U.S. and 42 in Texas. — USA TODAY's James Powel contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Costco opening in Midland this summer will be the largest in Texas
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Strong public-private partnerships: Midland breaks ground on new soccer complex
MIDLAND, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- City leaders in Midland broke ground Wednesday on the construction of a new soccer complex at Beal Park. The ExxonMobil Soccer Complex at Beal Park will feature 62 fields of various sizes, as well as a splash park and other amenities. Its construction will allow Midland to host soccer tournaments, keep Midland Soccer Association games at one site and provide a signature park in southwest Midland. 'Sports tourism really has a huge economic impact on the City of Midland. When we start looking at the large-scale tournaments that come in for soccer, with the Turkey Shootout every year, with some of the baseball tournaments that are held in other fields and other parks in town, this really becomes a significant influx of cash into our community through hotel-motel tax dollars, through taxes paid in our stores and our restaurants. And so, this is an economic driver, and it offsets the cost to the community so that the property taxpayers are not feeling the full burden,' said Mayor Lori Blong. City officials have stated that the 'current budget' for the Beal Park transformation is $44.5 million. That includes $28 million from the City of Midland, $10 million from the Beal Foundation, $5 million from the Scharbauer Foundation for the development of a splash park and $1.5 from ExxonMobil. The funding is a shining example of what can be accomplished though strong public-private partnerships. Phase 1 of the renovation project is expected to be completed at the end of 2025. The first phase of the construction will also include clearing and grubbing of the mesquite in the park, and the addition of irrigation and seeding to create large grass areas. Plans for Phases 2 and 3 have just started and should be complete at the end of July 2025. Phase 2 is scheduled to begin in early 2026, with completion expected at the end of 2027. Phase 3 will begin in early 2028, with completion expected in September 2028. At completion, an addition of 62 soccer fields of various sizes will be available, as well as additional restrooms and parking. Four of the new fields will have an artificial turf surface. New lighting and irrigation will be installed in the grass fields. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
