New Albany Plan Commission approves site plan for new gas station, future development

Christina Avery, The Evening News and the Tribune, Jeffersonville, Ind.
·2 min read

Jun. 21—NEW ALBANY — The New Albany Plan Commission on Tuesday approved a site plan for two new commercial lots. One lot, which is confirmed to be a gas station, is at 4430 Charlestown Road near Sunset Drive.

The other lot is slated for "future development," engineer Mike Hill said, but it is not yet known what exactly that will be. That lot is next to the lot that was confirmed to be a plan for the gas station.

The initial step in development was approved unanimously by the plan commission during Tuesday night's meeting. It is unknown when the new fueling station will open if the project progresses.

The News and Tribune recently received information that the new service center could be home to a new Wawa franchise. However, Chris Thieneman, developer for the project, said in an interview with the News and Tribune that he could not say whether the parcel would be another Wawa location. He also could not confirm how many pumps the fueling station would have or what its hours of operation would be.

Wawa, a popular gas station and convenience store chain known for its made-to-order hoagies and gourmet coffee, has garnered a cult-like following across the East Coast, with more than 950 stores scattered across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Florida and Washington, D.C.

Wawa cannot confirm whether the fueling station in New Albany will be one of its stores, Wawa Relations Senior Manager Lori Bruce said in a statement to the News and Tribune on June 14.

"We can, however, say that we are actively looking into potential sites for new Wawa stores in Louisville and surrounding markets that will open in 2025," Bruce said in the statement. "We are planning a series of updates and events to take place as early as late summer/early fall and will keep you posted on dates."

Wawa announced plans in December 2022 to bring its convenience stores to Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio. In March, Clarksville's Board of Zoning Appeals granted Wawa a use variance, which would allow the operation of a gas station at 1354 Veterans Parkway, the location of the town's former Red Robin restaurant. Wawa also submitted applications to approve two convenience store locations for construction in Louisville, which are expected to open by 2025.