WVU plans to sell Star City Shoney's site to O'Reilly Auto Parts; public hearing set

David Beard, The Dominion Post, Morgantown, W.Va.
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Jun. 14—MORGANTOWN — A new O'Reilly Auto Parts store is expected to come to Morgantown, on the site of the Star City Shoney's restaurant.

WVU owns the land and has set a June 29 public hearing on the proposed sale to Springfield, Mo.-based O'Reilly Auto Enterprises.

A legal ad to be run in The Dominion Post notes WVU bought the land in June 2012. WVU said in an email exchange that the Star City property in the notice includes the parking lot and the former Shoney's site which will be sold, in its entirety, to O'Reilly Auto Parts.

"Evaluation of real estate holdings is an ongoing process at West Virginia University and this sale is part of that continual review work, " WVU said. The goal is for the sale to close before the end of the fiscal year on June 30.

The West Virginia University Board of Governors authorized the property sale at its April 23, 2021, meeting.

A source at O'Reilly said the plan is to demolish the former restaurant and build a new O'Reilly store on the site. The company estimates having it done at the end of the year.

O'Reilly's website indicates that as of March 31, it had 5, 986 stores in 48 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, and 43 stores in Mexico. They have a new store opening every 2.5 days.

There are 24 O'Reilly Auto Parts stores in West Virginia, including Fairmont and Clarksburg.

The public hearing is set for 9:30 a.m. June 29 in Room 157 at the WVU College of Law.