AMHERST, N.Y. — An update was provided on the first Costco coming to Western New York.
Amherst town supervisor Brian Kulpa told 2 On Your Side on Wednesday that it is still happening. The Costco team has been meeting with local leaders about permits.
"They're going back for some site plan modifications, and we told them that we would start at the foundations and structural steel as they go through the site plan modifications," Kulpa said. "That really has to do with their fuel tanks, where they moving their fuel items."
Traffic has been a big concern, however.
Kulpa on Wednesday said Costco is working with the New York State Department of Transportation to build turn signals at the corner of Ridge Lea Road and Niagara Falls Boulevard to help alleviate congestion.
"Don't you know how many times I almost hit a car or a car almost hit me? It's not enough space for us to maneuver," Jade McCranely, a frequent shopper at the nearby Boulevard, told 2 On Your Side last August.
Kulpa also provided an updated on Station Twelve, the long-awaited shopping center on Sheridan Drive, just east of Niagara Falls Boulevard. He said that's out of the town's control and that developers are having issues getting companies to sign a lease.
Kulpa said the town urged them to focus on mixed-use buildings, not just retail stores.
"We arm wrestled with WS Development to get buildings built and landscaping completed, and a lot of that's happened. Now we've got empty buildings, right?" Kulpa said. "So it's like the nicest ghost town in Western New York. It's a struggle.
"They'll tell you, 'Well, we're having issues trying to lease it.' And it's almost, put your foot on the gas and figure it out. I mean, you got to think about your lease rates. What is it, right? At the end of the day, you know, it's really frustrating for a town. We have no control in this project other than their permits, and it's so it's hard. You don't have any teeth."