Lockwood Shell redo to put Manatee station in Wawa's, RaceTrac's class
MANATEE -- An aging kiosk-style gas station that has fallen out of step with newer convenience stores offering gourmet coffee and beer caves will soon be razed and rebuilt to better compete on a redeveloping section of University Parkway.
This week, The Risser Companies of Clearwater filed plans with Manatee County to replace its Shell station at Lockwood Ridge Road and University Parkway. According to Chuck Poetter, a Shell and Rally brand manager with Risser, the work will give drivers in that area a station store experience that meets higher expectations.
"To me, that is a high-dollar area," he said. "What people don't expect is a kiosk with bathrooms out back."
Expected to measure approximately 4,000 square feet and to feature eight fuel pumps, the planned store at 8471 Lockwood Ridge Road will be appointed to match other station store brands. The past two years, RaceTrac and Wawa have waged a tit-for-tat battle in Manatee County by opening nearly a dozen locations in prox
imity to one another and in submarkets served by older, smaller gas stations.
Karissa Bursch, a RaceTrac spokeswoman, said her company is building bigger station stores with more food and retail options to appeal to customer demand.
"Consumers want and deserve more, customizable options for their food and beverages whether at their convenience store or a five-star restaurant," she said. "In South Florida specifically, guest diversity is a big driver in RaceTrac working to provide these enhanced and expanded offerings."
Neither RaceTrac nor Wawa have a location on University Parkway. Wawa has filed plans with Sarasota County for convenience store at Honore Avenue and University Parkway.
The Risser-owned Shell is one of just four station stores along the road. Its competition includes a 7-Eleven near the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, a Risser-owned Mobil station in Lakewood Ranch and a recently rebranded Speedway nearby.
Poetter said the Shell needs to be replaced. Built in 1990 with an accompanying car wash, the 500-square foot station store is not appealing to many drivers. The car wash has worked for some time and is often used as shelter by transients, who congregate on a vacant property next door. Poetter said the new station will have better lighting, indoor restrooms and, if county permitting staff agree, a new car wash closer to the front of the nearly 1-acre property. The number of pumps will increase to eight.
Other nearby commercial properties are seeing renovations or redevelopment. Next door, a Burger King finished an indoor and outdoor renovation late last year. A few doors further east, Manasota Pediatrics is putting the finishing touches on a two-building retail and medical office space complex.
Poetter said his company's plans are subject to Sarasota County planning regulations and could change somewhat. While he would like to begin demolition on the Shell in April, he said it is more likely the work starts midyear.
Once demolition starts, the Shell will be shut down for three to four months.
Risser operates several dozen station stores between Bonita Springs and Palm Harbor. Its other Manatee County holdings are comprised of four Mobil stations. The company's brands are Rally, Shell, Mobil, Exxon and BP.
Matt M. Johnson, Herald business reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7027 or on Twitter @MattAtBradenton.
This story was originally published February 15, 2016 at 10:03 PM with the headline "Lockwood Shell redo to put Manatee station in Wawa's, RaceTrac's class ."