Costco receives permits for 167,000 square foot Newington store

Newington planning officials approved a 167,000 square foot Costco store on the site of the recently demolished Mall at Fox Run. The project marks the return of the warehouse club to the New Hampshire seacoast, an area that has lacked the format since a Portsmouth location closed in 1996.

The permit allows the new store to become the largest Costco facility in either New Hampshire or Maine. The approved site plan includes a 16-pump gas station, an on-site pharmacy, and a tire center. Construction is scheduled to proceed with a target grand opening in late 2027.

The Fox Run Mall had operated in Newington for more than 40 years before demolition began in the months preceding this approval. The site is part of a larger development known as Seacoast Landing, which will house the new retail destination.

Costco currently operates one other store in New Hampshire, located in Nashua. The company’s previous seacoast presence ended in 1996 when it closed its Portsmouth store citing low membership volume and sales. The Newington project represents a renewed attempt to capture demand in that specific region.

Local media reports confirm that the approval resolves long-running speculation about the retailer’s return to the area. The 167,000 square foot footprint sets the ceiling for the building size, subject to final construction details. The gas station and service centers will operate alongside the main warehouse floor.

The Newington location will be the company’s second New Hampshire site. The Nashua store remains the only other Costco in the state. The new development replaces a mall that served as a primary shopping hub for the seacoast region for four decades.