FORTVILLE — A British Petroleum gas station is coming to the town’s southwest side.
The site consists of nearly two acres at 625 W. Broadway St., across the street from Vernon Township’s fire station. Garden Street borders the site on the north.
The land was formerly proposed for a gas station from Ricker’s, a company owned by Giant Eagle, which is selling the property to an outfit run in part by Fortville resident and businessman Dee Shermar.
Shermar said the building coming to the site will consist of 4,500 to 5,000 square feet for a convenience store, along with space that will be arranged to lease to two other businesses. He added there will likely be five pumps for gasoline and an additional two for diesel.
Shermar said he was drawn to the project after Ricker’s offered the lot for sale. He’s worked with the convenience store chain in the past and has four locations with it in Indianapolis, all either BP- or Shell-branded.
“Ricker’s doesn’t buy bad properties,” he said.
He’ll close on the property at the end of the month and expects construction to begin within six months and complete within 18 months. Shermar added it’s a longer timetable than usual due to the economic disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The gas station will employ six to eight workers and have daily operating hours of 5 a.m. to midnight. Depending on how business goes, it may expand to 24 hours, Shermar said.
Plans for the project also call for a detention pond and 10-foot-wide asphalt walking/biking path.
Fortville’s plan commission and board of zoning appeals earlier this summer approved plans and other measures for the project, which town officials like planning and building director Adam Zaklikowski also supported.
“It’s a good location for a gas station, being at the corner of two important roads,” Zaklikowski said.
The gas station will be the town’s third, joining Hucks and Speedway, which are both farther east on Broadway Street.
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–625 W. Broadway St. (across from the Vernon Township fire station)
–Two-acre site
–Will employ six to eight workers; store hours will be 5 a.m. to midnight with possibility of expanding to 24 hours.
–Construction to begin within six months; completion within 18 months.
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