UKIAH, Calif. – Construction on the Ukiah Costco is scheduled to begin during the week of Sept. 25, marking an important milestone in a project that has been plagued with lawsuits and other delays for many years.

The current timeline includes an opening date in the spring of 2018.

The Santa Rosa Costco is one of the highest-grossing stores in the nation, partly because it draws significant revenue from Lake and Mendocino counties.

It is anticipated that the Ukiah store will largely redirect those customers, capturing the sales tax along with the sales.

Sales tax is one of the largest sources of revenue for cities, providing necessary funds for the police and fire departments, streets, parks and community services and more.

Additionally, the Ukiah Costco is expected to generate more than 120 new jobs.

When area residents travel to Santa Rosa “to go to Costco,” they typically visit several other businesses there as well. By capturing those Costco shoppers in Ukiah, city officials said it can be expected that Ukiah’s restaurants, shops, and service businesses will also see a significant increase in traffic.

The city of Ukiah reported that many small business owners in Ukiah shop for their business at Costco. “A local Costco will help them be more efficient and will keep their sales tax dollars in the community, which benefits everyone,” the city said in a written statement.

Construction of the traffic improvements at Talmage Road and Highway 101 and Airport Park Boulevard is on a parallel path forward, with final plans and specifications for the project already approved by the Ukiah City Council.

The actual construction of those improvements is scheduled to begin in October 2017.