The northwest corner of West Patrick Street and Baughman’s Lane will become a Wawa by next spring, if all goes to plan.
The corner had been occupied by the former Maryland State Police Barrack B from 1952 until 2002, when the police moved near
Frederick Municipal Airport.
A ceremony will be held 4 to 6 p.m. June 25 at the site. Core Development, The Golden Mile Alliance, Wawa representatives and
local officials will attend.
Lori Bruce, a spokeswoman for Wawa, said the target to begin construction is this fall, with anticipated opening in the spring of
2016. Although costs may vary at each site, Bruce said a typical Wawa costs about $5 million to $6 million to build.
State police officers are invited to the event, which is to say goodbye to the old building and to welcome the business to the Golden Mile, Bruce said.
“Saluting our local heroes is part of Wawa’s DNA. The police, firemen, others are the heroes,” Bruce said.
“The demolition of the old State Police Barracks at the intersection of Route 40 and Baughman’s Lane brings a mixture of nostalgia over seeing such an iconic building go, but also a lot of excitement in seeing the progress that redevelopment brings to the Golden Mile,” said Debra Tyson, vice president of the Golden Mile Alliance.
Tyson said bricks from the old barracks will be available to state police officers who wish to have them as a remembrance.
“The Golden Mile Alliance is encouraged by this redevelopment, and we are happy to welcome Wawa to the Golden Mile community.”
The alliance works to promote business along the Golden Mile and build relationships with communities around that area.
Bruce said a typical Wawa is 5,600 square feet, will have 12 to 14 fuel sites and hire 35 to 45 employees.
“What makes Wawa unique is that our employees own 43 percent of the company,” Bruce said of the privately held company based in Wawa, Pennsylvania.
The Wawa will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and feature a center kitchen design to offer food items for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Bruce said she did not have a rendering available of the new store until June 25.
“This site is a critical gateway location along the Golden Mile and will hopefully be a catalyst for additional follow-on invest in that corridor,” said Richard Griffin, the city’s director of economic development. “Already the corridor is experiencing strong investment by restaurants and with the proposed mall redevelopment.”
The Golden Mile has seen changes as some stores moved out and others moved in. A major project, at the west end of the corridor is the former Frederick Towne Mall site, which will become a Wal-Mart, with Boscov’s and Home Depot remaining.
“We have 697 stores and are opening as many as 50 a year,” Bruce said. “We will hit 700 stores this summer.”