A multi-state convenience store operator is renovating and reopening a prominent rest stop in west Kentucky that closed earlier this year.
Anyone who has driven the long stretch of the Wendell H. Ford Western Kentucky Parkway from Eddyville to Elizabethtown will have no doubt stopped at - or at least noticed - the popular rest stop, centrally located in Beaver Dam.
The site has been even more noticeable since it was shut down in January due to an expired vendor lease. At the time, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet said re-opening was their ‘top priority.’
The state Finance and Administration cabinet says the company Martin and Bayley, who operates the chain Hucks, has signed a 20-year contract with renewal options to renovate, run and maintain the location. There are two five-year renewal options.
Finance and Administration Cabinet Secretary William Landrum III said in a release, “Martin and Bayley will operate the center 24 hours by 7 days a week by 365 days a year. It will be a convenient spot for the whole family to get refreshments, use the facilities, and fill their gas tank.”
The Beaver Dam rest area is expected to open on January 26 next year. The nine-plus acres, building and gas center are part of the contract and the site will employ 20 associates.
The company will pay a quarterly rent to the state. The initial payments are 1.1% with five-year incremental increases ranging from 1.6% to 3.6% if the second extension is awarded.
