By Richard Gabel and Matthew Bott

This fall, city of Issaquah leaders will vote on a major development agreement between the city and Costco Wholesale, Issaquah’s largest private employer. Costco is a successful and growing company, which is very good for Issaquah. To accommodate this growth, the company is seeking to build additional capacity on its Pickering Place campus. The Development Agreement is the negotiated plan between City leaders and Costco to provide for this future growth. The agreement is consistent with the Central Issaquah Plan and we urge city leaders to move forward with its adoption.

Costco found its way to our town nearly 20 years ago. Issaquah was “the right place at the right time” to welcome to the community what would become one of the world’s most notable retailing success stories. And we are lucky to have them.

Without Costco, the Issaquah of today would look very different. As you can imagine, having the global headquarters of a major Fortune 500 company in our community provides a substantial driver for our economy, our employment base and our quality of life. Without Costco, our schools would not be as high-quality as they are today. Our city budget would not have the revenue it has to support parks, police and civic programs. And many Issaquah citizens would be without local jobs.

Costco is a cherished brand, in Issaquah and across the globe. It pays top wages in its industry. It has an extremely loyal customer base. It pioneered an innovative business model that continues to perform.

Plus, Costco gives back. It is very involved in Issaquah and in every community it calls home across the globe – over 600 locations. It donates millions every year to the Children’s Miracle Network and support thousands of jobs and families.

Having Costco make efforts to expand its footprint is not only good for our local jobs base and city revenue, but also it supports the redevelopment and business recruitment goals of the Central Issaquah Plan.  For the plan’s bold vision to come to fruition, we need companies that are willing to invest in Issaquah, supporting our infrastructure needs and job creation goals.

Knowledge that our largest corporate partner is ‘doubling down’ on our community and expanding its footprint sends an important message about Issaquah’s stability, quality of life and future. With the aggressive business recruitment goals of our neighbors and cities across the West Coast, we need to do everything we can to support our local economy and encourage inbound business investment. Plus, the development agreement also calls for substantial and much-needed transportation improvements for north Issaquah, with significant investments from Costco.

Companies operate in a global environment. Virtually any city in Washington and across the nation would love to have Costco house all or part of its headquarters operation.  And, as with any major company, it is heavily recruited to do so.

The competition for high paying jobs across the nation is intense. It is intense because the stakes are so high – for community health and prosperity, for high-paying jobs, and for a sustainable economy.  As we come out of the Great Recession, city leaders across the nation are realizing that communities only prosper with a strong private sector, thriving businesses and steady job growth. Without these items, quality of life is damaged, schools decline, and families suffer.

Issaquah city leaders, now concluding their due diligence on the proposed agreement, should vote yes to ensure our largest local employer can continue to grow and succeed here in our community. It matters greatly for Issaquah’s future.

Richard Gabel and Matthew Bott are the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, respectively, for the Greater Issaquah Chamber of Commerce.