After years of rumors, Sheetz coming to Amherst Big Boy land

AMHERST — Construction of a Sheetz gas station and convenience store could begin as early as Monday on a stretch of land that has been the source of speculation for two decades. The 6,000-square-foot store is tentatively scheduled to open this summer, according to company spokesman Nick Ruffner. It will include self-service kiosks, a car wash and 12 fuel pumps and will sell made-to-order food. A narrow strip of Route 58 just north of Route 2 was home to Bob's Big Boy until 2001, when it closed as the company struggled with finances. The restaurant was torn down a short time later. The Big Boy footprint has contracted from some 1,000 locations in the 1970s to just 69 today. Two still operate in Cleveland and Frisch's runs franchises to the west in Port Clinton, Fremont and Tiffin. Over the years, rumors have surfaced again and again about the former Amherst Big Boy property. The whispers had it becoming a Dave & Busters, an Olive Garden or a Chick-fil-A. "There have been different rumors throughout the years, and that's what they always were — just rumors," said Teresa Gilles, director of Main Street Amherst. She said a Sheetz will be a welcome addition to the busy Route 58 commercial corridor, though she expressed reservations about adding traffic to an already congested area. City Building Inspector Dave Macartney said Sheetz will have access on Kresge Drive as well as a curb cut onto Route 58, but the latter will be right-turn-only due to a median. A construction trailer appeared on the property early Tuesday. Weather permitting, contractors hope to mobilize Monday for site preparation, Macartney said. "I think they're planning on moving fairly quickly to get the site prepared and get construction going," he said. While Sheetz will be built on the former Big Boy land, the project will involved demolition of the vacant BP gas station next door, he said. That property has a deed restriction that requires it to remain green space until 2029, at which time it could be developed. Founded in 1952 and based in Altoona, Pennsylvania, Sheetz will become the seventh gas station in the Route 58-Cooper Foster Park Road area. Amherst Mayor Mark Costilow said the chain store will be a welcome addition to the city because of its highly visible location. The long-vacant lot has been an eyesore, and is the first property travelers see when they exit Route 2. "You turn around the corner and wonder why the first lot in Amherst is empty," Costilow said. Contact Jason Hawk at (440) 329-7122 or news@lcnewspapers.com.