Several Par Mar Stores officials joined construction officials, local political leaders and other guests and dignitaries in a groundbreaking event Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024. The new convenience store will also have an Arby’s restaurant and sell BP fuel. It is expected to open by the end of 2024 or the first half of 2025, officials said.
Several Par Mar Stores officials joined construction officials, local political leaders and other guests and dignitaries in a groundbreaking event Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024. The new convenience store will also have an Arby’s restaurant and sell BP fuel. It is expected to open by the end of 2024 or the first half of 2025, officials said.
“Coming soon†signs for the new Par Mar Stores location in downtown ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä have been up for two years at the former General Electric site in the 300 block of MacCorkle Avenue, SE, along the Kanawha River.
“We may have put our ‘coming soon’ signs out a little early,†said Brian Waugh, president of the Marietta, Ohio-based company. “But soon construction will begin, and everyone will see that we are really coming soon.â€
What to expect at the new store
The new location, the company’s 237th store, will be open 24/7. It will serve residents on both sides of the Kanawha River.
Waugh said the store — their fourth in ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä — will sell BP fuel.
“Right now, people can’t get gas over on [the south] side [of the Kanawha River],†he said. “We felt that this site had traffic coming from all four areas, from across the river here, both sides going into downtown ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä and from Kanawha City,†he said. “We really felt that there was a need here.â€
ÂÒÂ×ÄÚÉä-based Jarrett Construction Services will be in charge of the construction project, which will being next month.
“We’re going to come in here and start ripping things up,†said Keith Craig, Jarrett Construction’s project superintendent.
Craig said all the asphalt on the 1.3-acre site will be removed.
“That phase will take a month or two,†Craig said. “But we will be working around the clock to get it done as fast as we can.â€
The final phase will be the construction of the actual store, which will include an Arby’s restaurant with a drive-thru window.
Craig said weather could have an effect on the construction timeline.
“The fall and winter weather season can have an impact,†he said. “But it shouldn’t slow us down a whole lot.â€
Craig said hundreds of contractors will be working at the site throughout the entire process, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2024 or the first half of 2025.
Fred Pace is the regional business reporter for HD Media. Follow him at Facebook.com/FredPaceHD and via X (formerly Twitter) @FredPaceHD.
