SEI Keeps Costco’s Port St. Lucie Project Moving Forward

When SEI first announced its work on Costco’s mammoth Port St. Lucie project in April 2024, the scope alone told the story: a two-phase, multi-building effort across 192 acres. Phase I includes a 565,735-square-foot cold and dry depot, while Phase II includes a 1,060,452-square-foot direct distribution center, bringing the project to more than 1.6 million square feet of Costco distribution space. Now, with major milestones behind the team and the finish line coming into clearer view, the project continues to demonstrate exactly why Costco entrusted SEI with one of its most ambitious Florida developments.

The project reached a significant milestone in April. Phase I, the 565,735-square-foot cold and dry depot designed to support regional freight movement, secured its Certificate of Occupancy on April 17, with turnover following on April 20. The achievement reflects months of detailed planning, strong subcontractor performance, and steady coordination across a complex site where every sequence had to support the next.

One of the project’s defining features has been its solar infrastructure. Both Phase I and Phase II include their own substations, supporting a 100 percent solar-powered approach for the cold and dry depot. For SEI, that meant helping coordinate a phased process with Costco’s solar general contractor, including foundation work and portions of the electrical trenching. It was a learning experience, but also a clear example of the team’s ability to adapt, collaborate, and deliver under demanding conditions.

With Phase I turned over, attention remains focused on Phase II: the 1,060,452-square-foot distribution center that continues to take shape on schedule. Slab work is largely complete, and crews are now moving through interior buildout, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection work. SEI is still tracking toward the September 30 deadline for the direct distribution center, a milestone that speaks to the team’s discipline on a project of this scale.

The work has also expanded as the project evolved. Midstream, Costco acquired an additional seven acres north of the site, creating new grading, clearing, fencing, and security requirements on top of the original 192-acre program. Earlier project planning also included roughly 2 million cubic yards of excavation, import, and site balancing, underscoring the magnitude of the sitework behind the buildings themselves. While the added scope changed the site plan, SEI’s crews kept the broader project moving, with all site paving now complete and only targeted adjustments remaining on the north end.

For Project Manager Bryan Weatherford, the project continues to reflect the strength of SEI’s relationship with Costco. The size, complexity, solar coordination, expanded sitework, and fast-moving schedule all underscore a central theme: Costco trusted SEI with a groundbreaking project, and SEI has continued to meet that trust with teamwork, problem-solving, and execution.

“We’re thankful for the opportunity to be part of a project of this scale,” Weatherford said. “It really signifies our partnership with Costco and their trust in us.” As work continues in Port St. Lucie, SEI’s progress is more than a construction update. It is another reminder that large, complex projects are built on preparation, coordination, and relationships strong enough to carry the work forward.