Is the location by Hobby Lobby owned by The Villages?

Yes

Suspect the developer gave them a good deal to take this property

Goldwing new video states Costco has been in the works for few years, so guess there was a lot of back and forth for the property. But can’t imagine developers gave them much. If you remember not that long ago PF Chang’s was coming to Brownwood, Then it wasn’t.
So deal or no deal, developers have upper hand.

Don't say I didn't tell you . . .
 

Sam's club has their memberships on sale for $14. Normally $50:
"Offer valid through April 30, 2024." Lucky we let ours expire 6 weeks ago.

When my car needed a battery, Sam's put one in.
Costco - "Cash and carry; we don't install."

Not so sure. Sams and BJ are outside the villages property so most likely less cost for real estate. Very competitive business and Costco is not going to start off behind their competitors.

Lots of other places for Costco to locate sure they had good reasons for this location

Smile away, I’m not stopping anyone who joins or been members. I was member of sams club 20 plus years ago. Figured out I could get same things at Walmart without over spending bulk items.

Every place that Costco is located they have rent to pay.

Also from the Villages Commercial Property division (Scott Renick):

It will be interesting to see how much business the new Costco will take away from Sam's, BJ's, and nearby gas stations.

I would think that most people who shop at the previously listed big box stores do so by default only because of convenience/proximity, and due to the fact that there isn't currently a Costco in The Villages. I'm sure there are a few holdouts who will claim that those existing stores are better. They are incorrect.

The residents of Middleton in particular should be quite happy with the news.

It’s a personal choice where to shop. Some don’t find what they buy will fit into the membership mode. For us Costco glasses more than pays for our membership every year. This is the first for us buying glasses in TV. Our Optometrist was $468” Tried the cheap online, cost for one pair was $346. Two other optometrist’s buy one get one was $297 but very cheap plastic frames.

Costco same script titanium frames with green photo tinted at Costco $159.

Since chemo has destroyed my 20/20 vision, it also changes my site sometimes multiple times a day, so have 4 different scripts for difficult days.

Last year our check back from Costco was $267. Pays for our membership and a pair of glasses

Existing business will also loose experienced/trained employees/managers to COSTCO.

The Clermont COSTCO is probably a faster/easier drive most times from Middleton and other southern Villages than driving north/south through the Villages.

That is how business works. To make money. There is no shame in that. It is a matter of negotiation. Of course the developers have the upper hand. That doesn't make them wrong or bad or evil or stupid. Money is a very important factor in this world and we all should have a little too much rather than not quite enough.

I agree pike is less than 2 miles for us, to Clermont, plus a pleather of great restaurants. If we are in the area will drop into new Costco, but that doesn’t happen often. But still very happy Costco is coming and very glad we have so little retail in the south.

A great misconception here, they didn't pay a dime of taxes out of their profits, the taxes were taken out before profits. Businesses don't pay taxes, they collect taxes and pass them on to the government, the customer/end user pays the taxes. If you raise taxes on a business they raise their price to cover the increase in costs. To a business taxes are no different of an expense than labor, material, fuel/energy, etc., it's just another part of the cost deliver the product that will be marked up to make their final profit. Any business that doesn't understand this concept and operate in this manner quickly goes out of business.

The big lie in Washington DC is to raise corporate taxes and not raise taxes on the people, total BS, the people will always pay the higher tax bill.

My post wasn’t about attacking the developers as you are posting. But not the first time you jump on a post because you “Think” someone is unhappy with developers.

My post was responding to someone who thought developers gave them a deal.

My comment was about Costco has been in the works for years according to Goldwing.

So maybe a little back and forth, but developers still have the upper hand.