Wawa Inc. has five Jacksonville area locations under contract for its first wave of development — and deals are out on several more.
Brian Duke, regional real estate manager for the Pennsylvania-based chain, said Thursday contracts are out for another six to eight sites and there will be more.
Duke spoke after the Jacksonville Planning Commission approved a rezoning request for a vacant 2.7-acre site at southeast Beach Boulevard and Central Parkway.
Ordinance 2016-297 is in City Council review.
The commission approved the rezoning from Industrial Business Park to Planned Unit Development with two conditions concerning approval by the city traffic engineer for the access and for ground signs, calling for no more than one ground sign per road frontage.
“This is the first site to go through the process in the city,” Duke said.
He said most of the five sites under contract are in Duval County, with a couple in Clay County. Wawa also is looking at St. Johns County.
Wawa scheduled a June 9 event at the Main Library Downtown for invited city and development leaders and for media to introduce the chain and outline its Jacksonville-area development plans.
The first location is a 6,100-square-foot gas station with a convenience store, 16 fueling stations and a car wash.
Wawa expects 20 to 25 Northeast Florida stores, but Duke said the timeframe for development is undetermined.
The first wave should open in 2017. He said site work and construction takes nine to 12 months.
The company has more than 725 stores. It entered Florida in July 2012.
With the grand opening Thursday of its first store in Brevard County, Wawa has 87 Florida locations.
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