By Dylan Russell
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Telecommunications
Longtime industrial zone in purple; new industrial outlined in purple |
What was once zoned as industrial, then residential is now industrial again, because the Woodford County Economic Development Authority has prospective industrial buyers for the tract, which could create hundreds of jobs.
Midway Station is visible across I-64 from the Shell. (Photo by Dylan Russell) |
The success of the Shell station showed the viability of
property and helped get the ball rolling on Midway Station, Anderson said
before the April 10 meeting at which the Woodford County Planning Commission
recommended the rezoning.
Anderson and city officials have said there is a synergy to
the two tracts: The convenience store created a nearby where Midway Station
workers could eat and shop, and helped attract McDonald’s Corp., which has
received approval for a restaurant on the site. That will make the interchange even more
attractive to business and industry, they say.
In March, Anderson told the Messenger, “We have been aiming
for big brands that say, ‘This is a for-real location.’” Mayor Tom Bozarth has
said that a McDonald’s would be a good thing for the development.
The
Shell station sits right off I-64 and is easily visible to interstate traffic.
Many cars flock off of the interstate to get gas and food such as biscuits,
fried chicken, pizza and other quick bites to go.
Working behind the front register this week was Melissa
Wilson, a Midway native. Asked whether the business attracts mostly local or
highway travelers, she said, “We have both. I’m a local, and we needed this
store.”
Brandy
Howard, a Frankfort native and nurse at the University of Kentucky, stopped to
get gas on her way to work Tuesday.
“I forgot
to get gas earlier, so I stopped here since it is right off of the interstate,”
said Howard.
Many
license plates of cars getting gas were from different counties, so there is
plenty of highway traffic. McDonald’s would provide interstate traffic with a nationally
known place to eat close to the gas station, and could draw people into Midway.
The
grand prize of the development is a hotel. A gas station and a McDonald’s would
bring Midway that much closer to obtaining a hotel, which Bozarth has said is a
primary goal of development for Midway.
A hotel nearby could bring more people
into Midway and make the town more of a gateway for Woodford County, which has
bed and breakfasts but no hotels – and thus little revenue from the lodging tax
that is used for tourism promotion.
So, the Shell Station may have been a big stepping stone for the interchange area, playing a
pivotal role in helping make something out of Midway Station, perhaps making
the city's “failed industrial park” a success after all.
I agree the Shell station is proving to be a popular business, but it seems that it has forced the close of the other, admittedly sub par, but locally owned gas station nearby. And McDonald's coming is a mixed blessing. Great, it's a national brand, but how much business will it cannibalize from our excellent local restaurants? And how many people pulling off for a Big Mac will actually make the effort to visit our town? It seems to me the only benefit we can claim is a modest increase in employment tax. To me the benefits of this development are far outweighed by the long term detriments. Do we really want our exit to look like every other Interstate exit in the country?
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