There's a report in the Vancouver Sun today that the city has approved a plan for a new Costco store (to be topped by the usual condo towers) on the edge of downtown. City planning staff are quoted as saying that unlike traditional big box stores, this one will actually ease traffic congestion because Costco is a wholesale store and most of its clients are retailers. Therefore (their logic goes), downtown retailers will order from the downtown Costco store as opposed to ordering from stores out in the suburbs, easing traffic congestion.
Simple, isn't it?
But Costco is not a traditional wholesaler. It markets to consumers and encourages consumers to buy memberships and then buy stuff in bulk. I would think it likely that current and future Costco members who live in Vancouver (say East Van, South Vancouver, the West Side) will drive their cars to the new downtown location, thereby increasing traffic congestion downtown.
The 900 residential units will be designed in a Mondrian style, according to the Sun article. If so, it will make a nice change from the boring glass towers so prevalent on that side of downtown.