STUART, Fla. — After years of debate, a Costco in Stuart will finally be open for business on Friday morning.
WPTV reporter Jon Shainman got an exclusive sneak peek this week to see what's inside the 160,000-square-foot store.
WATCH BELOW: WPTV gets exclusive look inside Stuart Costco
Costco assistant general manager James Stedham said he brought Costco company leaders to Martin County 20 years ago about the possibility of building a store.
"They liked the area. They liked what they saw. They liked the possibilities," Stedham said.
But it wasn't an easy process to get a store built in Martin County.
An initial plan to build a Costco in Palm City was withdrawn in 2017 after resident opposition. It took a few more years and a lot of legal wrangling before an eventual agreement was made with the city of Stuart to build a store off Kanner Highway.
"First and foremost, if you didn't want us here, we understand your protection of Martin County. I understand it because I've lived here since 1992," Costco assistant general manager James Stedham said. "It's the reason I moved here in the first place. But we want you to know, we're going to co-exist. We're going to be harmonious."
WATCH BELOW: How Costco can impact prices at other stores
Stedham said there's a staff of 270 employees ready to help shoppers.
"When they come in, we want them to know that our pricing is as competitive as we can possibility make it," Stedham said. "But the one thing that will keep a member coming back is the service we can provide when they come in."
Costco members certainly have a lot of variety to choose from. There are 4,200 different items at the store.
"They'll take a look at what sells in Boca (Raton). They'll take a look at what sells in Palm Beach Gardens. They'll try to get a barometer for that for a new location like this," Stedham said.
"Do we still have times in bulk? Yes we do," Stedham said. "But we also have items that individuals can buy and stock their homes."
WPTV asked why there's such a seemingly random variety of items at the front of the store.
"A lot of times our vendors will actually try to pay for extra placement or what they call highlighted placement in the store, so they're one of the first things you see when the members come in," Stedham said.
There is a lot of thought put in to how things are spaced out.
"They always wanted you to see the vastness of the building," Stedham said. "That's why there's no steel in the center section."
While the $1.50 hot dog and soda remain a staple, the new location in Martin County will be only the second Costco in the entire Southeast with a sushi station.
