Judge Dismisses Lawsuit in Cranston Costco Battle

Federal Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Over Failed Costco Bid in Cranston

In a dramatic turn of events, a federal judge has thrown out a lawsuit that stemmed from a controversial bid to bring a Costco Wholesale Club to Cranston, Rhode Island. U.S. District Judge Mary McElroy granted a motion to dismiss the civil case brought by developer Coastal Partners II LLC against the city of Cranston.

The lawsuit alleged that former Mayor Allan Fung and current Mayor Ken Hopkins conspired to derail plans to build a Costco at the Mulligan’s Island site and instead favored a property owned by the Carpionato Group, who were purportedly political supporters of the mayors. However, Judge McElroy found that Coastal’s claims of due process violations were unsubstantiated.

Mayor Hopkins expressed confidence in the city’s victory, stating, “I am pleased that the facts regarding Coastal’s allegations were thoroughly vetted and justly decided upon.” Former Mayor Fung, on the other hand, called the allegations “outrageous” and “over the top.”

The saga of bringing a Costco to Rhode Island has been ongoing for nearly two years, with Cranston initially set to be the location for the state’s first Costco. However, the wholesale club recently withdrew its zoning application for the proposed site at the former ACI building on Goddard Road.

Despite this setback, three other communities have expressed interest in hosting Rhode Island’s first Costco. The battle for the retail giant’s presence in the state continues to unfold.

For more updates on this story, follow Tim White, Target 12 managing editor and chief investigative reporter, on Twitter (@timwhiteri) and Facebook.