Big-box membership chain Costco has closed on a new Sarasota County location in Wellen Park. The new location will be on U.S. 41, east of West Villages Parkway.

“We are thrilled to welcome Costco to Wellen Park,” Rick Severance, president of Wellen Park, said in a press release. “This is an incredible addition for our residents, as they have been very encouraged about what Costco will provide for them.”

The store's opening will bring hundreds of new jobs to the nearby communities, ranging from entry-level to management. Costco is often ranked among the top companies for employee benefits, and there are two others in the area: one at Sarasota Square, in south Sarasota, and the other on S.R. 64 in Bradenton. 

“With all of the development activity in and around Wellen Park, job creation has been a big focus,” Severance said. “There are more than 500 people now employed in downtown Wellen, and with Costco opening up nearby, there will be hundreds of new job opportunities for our residents.”

An opening date for the new location has not yet been announced, but it joins many new businesses that will fill the U.S. 41 corridor along Wellen Park.