Amherst, NY (WBEN) - If you've driven down N. Bailey and Ridge Lea Roads in the Town of Amherst of late, you've no doubt seen the heavy construction equipment and fencing along the east side of the road where site clearing work is well underway.
Costco is coming to Amherst and work continues on the site that is tucked along a dense retail site between Niagara Falls Boulevard and the I-290 expressway. Town Supervisor Brian Kulpa tells WBEN Costco and Benderson have taken the next steps toward moving the project along in the Ridge Lea corridor.
Kulpa says Costco has submitted its site plans for approval. "That's a task that it's going to take a little bit of time. Once we get through referrals from traffic and safety and engineering, our planning board will take that up as as an active item," says Kulpa. He adds Benderson has a demolition permit. "If you drive along the 290, or if you drive back on North Bailey, you'll see active demolition of the old UB campus happening. And so that's pretty exciting," adds Kulpa.
Kulpa says the demolition will take anywhere from a month to two months to complete. "I would suspect that after a month or so that should be down. And my guess is that they would be handing (to) the planning board sometime in June," predicts Kulpa.
Kulpa says he's heard concerns from residents along Meyer Road nearby. "Most of the concern on people from Meyer road is that traffic that could impact Bowmart and Meyer directly along Ridge Lea to the issue of there being currently backups," says Kulpa. He says there is a tremendous amount of work that will have to be done on North Bailey, so the project will not be taken lightly. He projects North Bailey and Ridge Lea will be greatly improved.
Kulpa believes construction on the actual Costco will begin either late in 2023 or early in 2024.
Demolition and site clearing work is underway to make way for a new Costco store in Amherst along N. Bailey and Ridge LeaWBEN Photo/Tim Wenger
