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Changes are coming to the Sheetz property in Farmville. The company got their redevelopment plans approved by the town planning commission on Wednesday, June 18. 

The company’s goal here is to demolish and then rebuild at their 2016 South Main Street location in Farmville, expanding their footprint in the process. The current brick structure and the car wash will be demolished, with the number of entrances to the property reduced from three to two. That second entrance on Clark Street will be removed. 

“The rebuild will include a new 6,139 square foot, 26-0” structure to house a convenience store, dining area, and drive-thru,” said Ashley Atkins-Austin. She serves as Farmville’s Director of Community Development. Speaking to the planning commission on Wednesday, Atkins-Austin explained that “a new canopy with six fuel pumps will replace the existing canopy and fuel pumps. The site will include a gasoline station, neighborhood convenience store, and a restaurant with drive-thru.”

Under Farmville’s current rules, site plans that propose new commercial construction have to be reviewed by the planning commission. However, the plans don’t require a vote by the town council. If and when the planning commission signs off on the expansion plans, projects like this one can move forward. 

It’s one of several projects that Ryan Gatewood and LE&D Professionals has handled for Sheetz. The Danville-based business has been working with Sheetz on redevelopment projects for the last decade. 

“Stores get to be 15 to 20 years old and they look to revamp it, redevelop it,” Gatewood told the commission. He added the new plans would be using one of the company’s new prototypes. “The car wash will be removed and replaced with a drive-through facility. In the back it’ll be a bigger kitchen and then there will be more indoor seating.” 

He added that the redevelopment will make the Sheetz structure about 1,100 square feet larger. 

The demolition won’t affect any of the businesses around Sheetz, Gatewood told the commission. That includes the hotel and the gas station sitting across South Main Street. Planning commission members unanimously agreed to move forward with the project. Demolition at the property will be scheduled in the next few months. There is no current timeframe as to when construction will be finished and the new store will reopen.