$2.5 million remodel begins in December
By Scott Bellile
Kwik Trip North, 984 N. Shawano St., New London, plans to add additional gas pumps and raze an adjoining building space as part of a $2.5 million remodeling project.
The New London Planning Commission approved a site plan for the expansion project on Sept. 27.
“One of our biggest complaints we get … is people having to wait to fuel up,” Troy Mleziva, real estate development manager for Kwik Trip, told the planning commission. “And [people are also requesting] more and more parking. So what we’re looking to do is solve that by removing the former Burger King portion of the property and replacing that with some parking and additional gasoline fueling on the north end of the site.”
Mleziva said Kwik Trip will start the project in December and hopefully complete it by next spring.
The new fueling stations added to the north side will be standard gas pumps like those already found on the west side of the property.
A two-lane diesel-fueling canopy will also be added to the site to accommodate larger trucks.
Inside the store, the kitchen will be remodeled. But the overall size and footprint of the building will not change, Mleziva said.
At last week’s meeting, commissioners also offered Mleziva suggestions for future improvements.
Cindy Goller said a second automated tire air pump station should be built because visitors are always waiting in line to use the one there.
Steve Thompson, general manager for New London Utilities, offered to contribute funding from the utilities if Kwik Trip would decide to put in an electric vehicle charging station one day. There are no plans for one now, Mleziva said.
The Burger King restaurant, which had operated on the northernmost side of the retail center since it was built two decades ago, closed on June 24. Kwik Trip acquired Burger King’s vacated space for the expansion project.
The Burger King franchise was operated by Valley King of Wisconsin LLC, an independent franchise of Burger King Corporation run by Tom Prevost and a group of investors. Valley King of Wisconsin owns franchises mainly in the Appleton and Green Bay areas.
When the New London Press Star reported on Burger King’s closure in June, Valley King of Wisconsin declined to comment. An employee told the Press Star the franchise is “really not interested in answering any of the questions that you have.”
The retail complex was constructed in 1998. Whereas now the building will only be home to Kwik Trip, at one time the structure was occupied by four businesses: Burger King, Shell gas station, Dominos Pizza and Check Advance.
In 2011 Kwik Trip North vacated its former home, the 420 N. Shawano St. property next to Pfeifer Park, and opened a larger 5,200-square foot store at 984 N. Shawano St.
Kwik Trip donated its old building to the city of New London. The city demolished and rebuilt much of that building because it was too low to meet flood elevation requirements. Following the rebuild, New London Area Chamber of Commerce opened there in 2012.