Sat, May 17 2008
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Published May 05, 2008 11:49 pm - Ever-climbing fuel prices have applied the brakes temporarily to a $6 million fueling station project at Conneaut’s Interstate 90 interchange with Route 7, officials said. Love’s lost to Conneaut until 2009 Economy delays construction of travel center off I-90 By MARK TODD - Staff Writer - mtodd@starbeacon.com Star Beacon CONNEAUT — Ever-climbing fuel prices have applied the brakes temporarily to a $6 million fueling station project at Conneaut’s Interstate 90 interchange with Route 7, officials said.
Love’s Travel Stops and Country Stores has delayed its construction until next year at the earliest, said Christina Dukeman, spokeswoman for the Oklahoma-based company, confirmed Monday. The decision should not be interpreted as waning interest in the Conneaut location, she said. “We’re definitely committed to the project,” she said. “It’s postponed but not canceled. We’re going forward next year.” The “ebb and flow” of real estate, along with other factors, prompted the decision, Dukeman said. “Business is prescribing we hold back (on the Conneaut project) and a few others,” she said. Construction will proceed “whenever business dictates we can proceed,” Dukeman said. Conneaut City Manager Douglas Lewis, who has championed the project for more than two years, said Monday he was “disappointed” with the news, but encouraged to hear the project was still in Love’s plans. “It’s disappointing, but the important thing is the project is still slated for 2009,” he said. “It will definitely be a benefit to the community.” While construction will wait, some aspects of the project will proceed this year as scheduled, Lewis said. Wetland mitigation required for the project will continue this month, as planned, he said. Also, Love’s has agreed to build a road to the site, if requested to do so by the Ohio Department of Transportation, he said. At stake is a fueling station/ truck stop to be built on 11 acres in the southwest corner of the I-90/ Route 7 interchange. A store, gift shop and two fast-food restaurants are part of the deal. Lewis learned last week that Love’s was mulling a delay to the project but couldn’t confirm the information until the past weekend, he said. Officials told Lewis the company decided to delay the Conneaut project, and other construction work, after reviewing numbers for 2007 and the first quarter of 2008, he said. Escalating fuel prices are limiting the number of independent truckers traveling the nation’s highways, Lewis said. “They’re seeing a drop in independent truckers and also seeing a slowdown in the number of people traveling,” he said. Fewer drivers mean fewer vehicles stopping to buy fuel and, more important, buying items at the Love’s stores, he said. “Most of the money earned by Love’s is from its stores, not the sale of gas,” Lewis said. The company already has invested upward of $1.3 million into the project, including property acquisition and engineering, Lewis said. Dukeman confirmed Love’s now owns the land in question. 
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