Speedway plans to demolish, rebuild station

South Vienna officials say new station will be better, safer.

The Speedway gas station and convenience store in South Vienna will likely be expanded this year.

The company is planning to tear down its current gas station at 213 N. Urbana St. and expand into a bigger space, according to village officials.

South Vienna Mayor Toni Keller said Speedway has purchased the land south of the property and hope to rezone it. Keller said the business also plans to demolish the old building and build a new one further off the street from where it’s now located, according to zoning plans.

Speedway officials wouldn’t comment on the project because the company won’t speak to the construction or renovation of individual locations, according to a spokesperson.

A public meeting will be held on Jan. 8 at 7:15 p.m. in the South Vienna Town Hall, 149 W. Main Street, to discuss a possible zoning change of the residence at 219 N. Urbana Street from a residential to a commercial property.

Speedway LLC recently purchased the adjacent parcel of land near its current location for $95,000, according to auditor’s records.

Keller said she’s happy to see Speedway reinvest in their village. It will also allow for more shopping options in the village.

“It will be good for South Vienna,” Keller said. “They’re very busy every day. It’s so crowded in that lot that sometimes you have to wait to get in it. I think it can get dangerous at times because it pulls right up to (Ohio) 54. With the lot being bigger, I just think it will be much better.”

Village council member Nathan Sheerin said if the zoning is approved, the company plans to build right away. The process could take about three months before they’ll be ready to reopen.

“It’s going to be a nicer building,” Sheerin said.

Speedway, based in Enon, acquired almost 100 new gas stations in 2012 in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. The company is one of Clark County’s 10 largest employers.

The company owns more than 1,460 stores in seven Midwestern states and ranks as the fourth largest chain of gas stations in the country.

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