Ave Maria Gas Station Expected to Open by March
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- Published on Tuesday, 11 December 2012 19:46
A long-awaited gas station and convenience store may finally be close to opening at the site on Ave Maria Blvd. that has been vacant since the original owner went bankrupt before completing the project.
Ave Maria Development completed the sale of the property last week to a large independent distributor, Automated Petroleum and Energy Inc. of Brandon, FL, and the company's development manager, Phil Toye, said he hopes the gas station and covenience store will be open for business "by the end March at the latest."
The most likely brand of gasoline to be dispensed there is Mobil, Mr. Toye said, and the convenience store, which will be open from early morning to late at night, will be a "well-known national chain."
The purchase of the gas station/convenience store -- one of two buildings on the site -- is the latest development in a saga that has been playing out since the town of Ave Maria opened in 2007. The original owner of the property went bankrupt before work could be completed, then the bank that held the mortgage failed and all development plans were on hold until Ave Maria Development finally bought back the property from a second bank almost one year ago, saying at the time that the gas station would be open by June, 2012.
The new owners own about 250 similar facilities in Florida and lease about 80 more, Mr. Toye said, making it "the largest independent gasoline jobber in the state of Florida."