Fort Oglethorpe is moving forward with designs on a sewerage project along U.S. 41, from East Ridge to Cloud Springs Road.

The sewerage project is an effort to head off requests from businesses that want to locate around “Project Hilltop.”

“We’re expecting that area to really take off,” said ARCADIS engineer Jimmy Hyma. ARCADIS is the engineer consultant firm on the project.

“Project Hilltop” is the code name for a Costco that is reportedly coming to Fort Oglethorpe. It will be built off I-75 at Cloud Springs Road. The warehouse retailer would draw shoppers from Walker and Catoosa counties, as well as Chattanooga.

Fort Oglethorpe mayor Ronnie Cobb said the name of the company coming to the site could be officially announced at the end of next week.

He said there are no more “stumbling blocks” concerning “Project Hilltop” other than procedural matters.

The City Council today voted to allow ARCADIS to move forward with the designs on the U.S. 41 sewerage project. The engineers will survey the area, design the project and acquire the necessary permits.

The project is about a little less than a mile and will include two lines — one on each side of U.S. 41.

ARCADIS’s work will take the project up to the bidding phase. The bidding portion will cost around $54,000.

Hyma said a pessimistic timeline for the project is for it to be ready to go out for bidding in the fall. He said acquiring the permits and easements can sometimes be a long process.

City manager Ron Goulart said the project would take about 180 days to complete after a contract is secured.

Cobb said the city could potentially lose some businesses if the sewerage lines aren’t in place.

Officials declined to give an estimate for the total cost of the project since it hasn’t even been designed or bid on.

Costco, if it is indeed the company coming to the Cloud Springs Road site, would bring 125-250 jobs to Catoosa, with about half the jobs being full-time.

The closest Costco to Chattanooga is more than 75 miles away in Huntsville, Ala. There are two stores in Atlanta and one in Alpharetta and Kennesaw.

Costco’s website describes the company as a “membership warehouse club.” Gold Star and Business members pay $50. The highest membership is Executive, which costs an additional $50 and gives a 2 percent reward on most Costco purchases.

The company sells appliances, furniture, electronics, food and equipment for cars.