For years, the old Stop & Shop and Kmart site on Route 17 South in Paramus has been a stretch of empty storefronts on one of New Jersey’s busiest shopping highways. Kmart closed there in 2014. Stop & Shop followed in January 2022. Since then, the buildings have sat dark.
That is supposed to change. Costco wants to tear the old buildings down and build a warehouse store. The project has been approved, challenged in court and, most recently, moved on to a reported building-permit filing.
There’s been plenty of talk about it, and some of that talk is guesswork. Here is what has actually been confirmed, what hasn’t, and what it will mean for shoppers once the doors open.
What’s confirmed
The site. The store is planned for 857, 859 and 861 Route 17 South, the former Stop & Shop, the former Kmart and an adjoining strip-mall property, near the Ridgewood border. The borough’s application listing identifies all three addresses. The redevelopment calls for demolition to make room for the new building.
The size. The approved warehouse is about 184,000 square feet. The court complaint describing the approved application gives approximately 184,250 square feet.
A tire center, no gas station in the announced plans. The application includes a Costco Tire Center. When Mayor Chris DiPiazza first announced the plans in August 2024, he said the application did not include a gas station, according to News 12’s report.
The approvals. Costco submitted its plans in August 2024. After public hearings, the Planning Board approved the plan unanimously on October 2, 2025, NJBIZ reported. The borough’s December 4, 2025 minutes record an 8–0 vote on Costco Resolution 25-26.
The building-permit filing. The Ridgewood Blog reported on September 16, 2026, citing the mayor, that Costco submitted its building-permit paperwork on September 11. The report said the building department was reviewing the plans before issuing permits. A filing is a step forward; it is not confirmation that permits have been issued or construction has begun.
Timeline at a glance
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| 2014 | Kmart closes on the site |
| January 2022 | Stop & Shop closes |
| August 2024 | Costco submits plans |
| October 2, 2025 | Planning Board approval reported |
| December 4, 2025 | Borough minutes record a vote on Costco Resolution 25-26 |
| December 22, 2025 | A Paramus resident files a lawsuit challenging the approval |
| September 11, 2026 | Building-permit paperwork submitted, according to a September 16 report citing the mayor |
What’s not confirmed yet
The opening date. We have not found an officially announced opening date. Early reports in 2024 put completion at spring 2026, but that estimate has passed. As of October 21, 2026, Paramus does not appear on Costco’s official “Coming Soon” list.
When construction starts. We have not verified an issued building permit, a demolition date or a construction start. The plans call for the old buildings to be demolished first.
The lawsuit’s current status. On December 22, 2025, Paramus resident David Lorenzo sued the Planning Board and Costco in Bergen County Superior Court. The filed complaint alleges problems with notice to neighbors and the board’s analysis of the required variances, and asks the court to overturn the approval. Those are the plaintiff’s allegations. We have not verified the case’s current disposition from a court order. The September permit filing does not establish the outcome of the lawsuit.
Hiring and store hours. Paramus-specific opening hours, a hiring timetable and an opening-event date were not confirmed in the official sources checked for this article.
What about Sundays?
Mayor DiPiazza has said Costco will not receive a Sunday-closing exemption, according to Fox Business’s August 2024 report.
Paramus has Sunday restrictions that go beyond Bergen County’s blue law. Its Sunday Activities code broadly prohibits business on Sundays, with specific exceptions including drugs, prepared food, perishable produce, newspapers, baked goods and motor fuel.
If Costco opens on Sundays, it would still have to comply with those restrictions and the county rules. It would not be a normal shopping day for a television or a sofa. Exactly how Costco would handle Sunday sales, and whether it will open that day at all, remains unconfirmed.
For more on how Sunday shopping works in town, see our guide to what’s open in Paramus on Sundays.
Traffic on Route 17
Traffic was one of the concerns raised during the hearings, and a warehouse club draws a lot of cars. If you live nearby, watch the borough’s announcements for construction and traffic notices once work begins.
The Paramus Planning Board page links to the borough’s agendas and meeting records.
Frequently asked questions
Is Costco really coming to Paramus?
The Planning Board approved a roughly 184,000-square-foot Costco on Route 17 South in October 2025. A September 2026 report, citing the mayor, says Costco has filed building-permit paperwork. An opening date is still unconfirmed.
Where will the Paramus Costco be?
At 857, 859 and 861 Route 17 South, on the former Stop & Shop and Kmart site and an adjoining property, near the Ridgewood border.
When will the Paramus Costco open?
We have not found an official opening date. Paramus was not on Costco’s “Coming Soon” list when checked on October 21, 2026.
Will the Paramus Costco have a gas station?
The plans announced in 2024 did not include one. The application does include a tire center.
Will the Paramus Costco be open on Sundays?
That remains unconfirmed. Any Sunday operation would have to comply with Paramus’s restrictions and the county blue law.
Where is an existing Costco warehouse in Bergen County?
Costco lists a warehouse in Teterboro in its New Jersey warehouse directory.
Sources and updates
Information checked October 21, 2026. This is a developing story. The permit filing is attributed to the September report; permit issuance and the current lawsuit outcome have not been independently verified.
Borough of Paramus: application addresses and site-plan hearing agenda, September 18, 2025.
Borough of Paramus: Planning Board minutes, December 4, 2025.
News 12 New Jersey: the mayor’s initial announcement and gas-station plans, August 22, 2024.
NJBIZ: Planning Board approval and site background, October 7, 2025.
The Ridgewood Blog: reported building-permit filing, September 16, 2026.
Fox Business: the mayor’s statement about Sunday restrictions, August 26, 2024.
Costco: official upcoming locations, checked October 21, 2026.
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