Costco Opens at South Dakota and New York Ave, NE Today

2441 Market St NE

At long last DC’s first Costco opened today at 2441 Market St, NE (at the intersection of New York and South Dakota Ave, NE):

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From a press release:

Mayor Vincent C. Gray, other District government leaders, retailer Costco Wholesale and development-team partners today celebrated the grand opening of a new 154,000-square-foot membership warehouse at 2441 Market Street NE in The Shops at Dakota Crossing. Located in one of the District’s gateway communities, Fort Lincoln New Town, the highly anticipated retail anchor brings a variety of convenient specialty departments to its newest area store, located near the intersection of New York and South Dakota Avenues NE in Ward 5.

“Costco Wholesale’s opening in The Shops at Dakota Crossing today signals a huge milestone for retail in the District,” said Mayor Gray. “Having the big-box retailer call the District home as this shopping center’s anchor tenant means that many more District residents can partake in its discount shopping options here, thereby slowing retail leakage and keeping tax dollars in our jurisdiction – two critical elements of my administration’s economic-development strategy.”

The local Costco warehouse will offer quality name-brand and private-label merchandise, and it will feature a fresh bakery, fresh meat, fresh produce, a fresh deli with rotisserie chicken, an optical department with an independent doctor of optometry, a 1-hour photo, a pharmacy, a tire center, hearing aid center, a food court, and fine wines and liquors. This first Costco Wholesale warehouse in the District of Columbia will be the company’s 448th in the United States and Puerto Rico and the 619th worldwide.

The Shops at Dakota Crossing is located just inside the District line off South Dakota Avenue NE and a short distance from heavily traveled Route 50 and D.C. 295/Baltimore-Washington Parkway. Situated on a 44-acre site, Costco Wholesale is the first retail tenant to open for business at The Shops at Dakota Crossing, which broke ground in February of this year. Including the anchor tenant, the center will house 430,000 square feet of retail space and 2,000 parking spaces. Additionally, the project will create 1,200 new jobs (permanent and construction) in the District and generate $634 million in tax revenues for the District over the next 30 years.

Right now I’m in a split household – I want to join but my wife doesn’t think it’s worth the membership. Anyone think they will join? Is the $55 annual membership worth it? Anyone know how the prices compare to Target? For those who are members – what do you usually get there?