RaceTrac is on a roll.
RaceTrac Petroleum confirmed it intends to develop a gas station and convenience store in the Atlantic North Shopping Center at Atlantic Boulevard and Marketplace Drive.
“We are in the initial stages of permitting,” said Atlanta-based RaceTrac Communications Manager Liz Howell.
Howell said Friday that RaceTrac opened two Jacksonville area locations in December along Gate Parkway and in Atlantic Beach along Mayport Road.
RaceTrac has several more locations planned, including in Arlington at Merrill Road in the Buck Business Park; in Southside along University Boulevard West at Richard Street; and in Baymeadows along Baymeadows Road at Baymeadows Way.
Howell said the new stores feature a Swirl World frozen dessert station with up to 10 flavors and 41 toppings and a large coffee area.
She said the newer stores have “a more shoppable layout, ample seating, free Wi-Fi and more lighting in the store and parking lot,” along with exterior seating.
The Atlantic North store is indicated on plans filed with the city by Sleiman Enterprises for a new loop road at the shopping center.
The property is west of Marketplace Drive, opening a new area for development at the center, which is at northwest Kernan and Atlantic boulevards. It is west of Belk, which anchors the western end of the current shopping center.
The RaceTrac and another outparcel face Atlantic Boulevard. The loop road would connect Marketplace Drive behind the two parcels and back to Atlantic Boulevard.
RaceTrac operates 20 stores in Northeast Florida with more in development, Howell said.
It also seeks a zoning exception for outside sales and service at 5221 University Blvd. W. at northwest University Boulevard and Interstate 95.
The 1.79-acre site is part of 10.67 vacant acres owned by Home Depot USA Inc., which previously filed plans for a home improvement warehouse there that it did not develop.
The rest of the site comprises outparcels for other uses, such as restaurants and hotels.
Home Depot bought the site in 2007 and demolished a Red Carpet Inn, Super 8, International House of Pancakes, a shuttered adult cabaret and a garage. It now wants to sell the land to developers.