Costco Business Center planned for former Northland site in Southfield

The former Northland Center site in Southfield is slated to include the state’s first Costco Business Center.

Costco recently purchased a 13.38-acre parcel at the corner of Northland Dr and Northwestern Highway, said Southfield-based Friedman Real Estate, which announced the sale on Thursday.

The Costco Business Center differs from the company’s standard consumer retail warehouses, the firm said. The store will offer products in greater quantities and it will not include a bakery or pharmacy that are present in other Michigan locations.

Friedman Real Estate said Costco’s 160,000-square-foot warehouse will be a “key component” of the Northland City Center project.

The project is expected to include office, retail, multi-family and medical space.

Contour Companies broke ground on the the Northland City Center in the spring of 2021.

At the time, the developer said the first phase of the project would be complete in 2026.

Northland closed in 2015 after years of declining traffic, dwindling tenants, the departure of Macy’s and Target, and mall owners who defaulted on the property.

cwilliams@detroitnews.com