Gas Station Finally Open for Business

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Published on Friday, 21 June 2013 14:57

The gas station in Ave Maria finally opened Friday morning, more than five years after construction started at the site in the Park of Commerce on Ave Maria Blvd.

"I wanted to be the first customer!" exclaimed Lena O'Neill , who rode her bike up to the station just before 7 a.m. and made the first purchase at the mini-mart, a bottle of water.

Gas stations usually open with little fanfare, but in Ave Maria the long-awaited opening of the Mobil station and mini-mart was something of an event as residents began arriving just after 7 a.m. take a look, buy a snack, and – in some cases – actually buy gas.

Sr. Teresa Benedicta of the Dominican Sisters of Mary drove up promptly at 7 a.m. and was rewarded with a complimentary fill-up by the station's owner and manager. Others paid the standard price, which Friday morning was $3.69 a gallon for regular. Right, Phil Toye of station owner Automated Petroleum and Energy filling up the sisters' van while station manager Daniel Kim watches.

Other residents began arriving shortly afterward, with several children excitedly looking at the snacks and candy for sale inside.

The mini-mart also sells drinks, beer, wine as well as a variety of staples and essentials ranging from WD-40 to cold remedies.

The store will be in a "soft opening" for about a month, said Daniel Kim who, with his wife, Soo, (left) will be managing the property. Mr. Kim said he's been working in retail for about 15 years since immigrating to the U.S. from South Korea. The store still is awaiting a number of other products, such as a Lotto machine and frozen drinks. A "grand opening" will be held in 30-45 days, Mr. Kim said.

Initially, the hours will be 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., but Mr. Kim said he expects to be open later at night once the fall term starts at Ave Maria University.

It was a long and twisty path to get to the station opening Friday morning. The property was the first, and only, commercial development in Ave Maria undertaken by a company that purchased land from Ave Maria Development. Original plans were for a gas station, mini-mart and small strip mall that would offer other services such as take-out food but construction stalled with the onset of the real estate crash and the original owner of the property went bankrupt, leaving the buildings empty and not completed. The bank that foreclosed on the property then failed and its assets were taken over by another financial institution that finally put the property up for sale in late 2011. It was purchased in early 2012 by Ave Maria Development, the original owners, who said at the time that they anticipated a June, 2012, opening. But it took longer than expected to find an operator for the station, and then snags in permitting and licensing further delayed the opening.

"It's great to see it open," said Tom Sansbury, who retired from the Barron Collier Cos. shortly after arranging the sale of the property to the existing operator, Automated Petroleum and Energy Corp.

Right, Mr. Sansbury with Ave Maria Development's Sue Maturo.