PARAMUS, N.J. — Costco is getting closer to opening its long-awaited Paramus location, with the company submitting its permitting paperwork to the borough after nearly two years of appearing before the Paramus Planning Board.

Mayor Christopher DiPiazza said Costco submitted the required permitting documents to the Building Department on Friday, Sept. 11. The department will review the submission before issuing the permits.

The Costco project covers 857, 859 and 861 Route 17 South, the former site of Kmart and Stop & Shop.

Costco first appeared before the Paramus Planning Board on Oct. 3, 2024, seeking approval for a preliminary and final major site plan as well as a major soil movement permit variance.

The proposed store would be the property's sole occupant.

Kmart closed in December 2014 and Stop & Shop closed in January 2022.

The project does not include a gas station, according to the Planning Board's October 2024 meeting minutes, but will include a Tire Center.

The store is expected to have 390 parking spaces on the roof and another 423 spaces on the ground.

Three access points are planned, with two entrances from Route 17 and one from Linwood Avenue, according to the board's October 2025 meeting minutes.

Costco has been looking for a Paramus location for nearly two decades, Mark Marchesano, the company's director of real estate, told the Planning Board in September 2025. Costco currently has another Bergen County location in Teterboro.

The proposed hours are 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Costco has also confirmed to the Planning Board that it will comply with Paramus' Blue Laws.

The latest filing moves the project into the permitting stage, bringing the long-discussed Route 17 Costco another step closer to reality.