Here’s a bit of news that should delight any Northerners and sandwich fans out there: The space on the corner of Interstate 4 and Thonotosassa Road eventually will become a Wawa gas station and convenience store.
Wawa, which originated in Delaware, has locations throughout the United States’ East Coast and is tremendously popular in areas such as New Jersey and Philadelphia for its hoagies. There are quite a few here in Florida, but only in the Tampa/St. Petersburg and Orlando areas.
According to Plant City’s Planning Department, the company is proposing a 6,019-square-foot convenience store with 16 gas pumps. Customers will be able to order a “shortie” and go next door to Starbucks for a coffee, if they wish.
“The site plans are under review right now, and the billing plans will be later,” Plant City Senior Planner Phillip Scearce said.
There’s still quite a ways to go before the operation kicks into high gear, however.
Scearce said engineering permits are required before the building construction can begin, and input from the Florida Department of Transportation and Florida Highway Administration is needed.
“We have to work out some stuff with the on-ramp exits, to see how this will work with the traffic flow,” Scearce said.
Getting that input could take at least a few weeks, perhaps even a few months.
Anyone who drove past the Lake Walden Square last week might have noticed a Firehouse Subs sign in the marquee, but that’s another operation with a ways to go.
The Jacksonville-based chain currently has 20 restaurants in the Tampa Bay area,. The closest locations to Plant City are in Lakeland and Brandon.
According to Firehouse officials, the restaurant site hasn’t officially been approved yet. However, one can assume discussions are going well, if the landlord got excited and put up a sign ahead of time.
Although no deal is officially in place yet, this potential Firehouse does have one thing that the Wawa currently lacks: a target for an opening date. If everything goes according to plan, then Plant City will get its first Firehouse Subs in April or May 2014.
Contact Justin Kline at jkline@plantcityobserver.com.
