Wawa to give up Great Mills Road outpost Nov. 30

Company explains store was sold as ‘ongoing business'

Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2009

St. Mary's is losing one of its five Wawa convenience stores. The Wawa on Great Mills Road in Lexington Park is closing on Nov. 30.

The store will be sold as an ongoing business and its employees have been offered continued employment at other locations, a spokeswoman said.

"Since 2001, it has been our pleasure to serve the Lexington Park community at that location," Lori Bruce, a spokesperson for Wawa, said in a statement. "Every year, we evaluate all of our stores, and at times, must make the difficult decision to close some of them. We apply the same process throughout our five-state operating area." Wawa is headquartered in Pennsylvania.

"While closing this store was a difficult decision to make, we have conducted careful and extensive evaluations, and have determined that it is no longer meeting business expectations," Bruce said. "We have stores in close proximity, and we feel that we can continue to serve this community more effectively and efficiently at those locations."

Wawa has stores on Route 235 in Lexington Park and California, and on Route 5 in Mechanicsville and Charlotte Hall.

Wawa bought the Great Mills Road property in 2001 for $1.5 million. The surrounding land was then sold to a Calvert County developer who has approval for development on the corner of Chancellor's Run Road and Great Mills Road. The state of the economy is stalling those plans though, which include the razing of an abandoned gas station at the corner of the road.

Robin Finnacom, director of the Community Development Corporation which oversees the development of Lexington Park, said of Wawa's closing on Great Mills Road, "I honestly think it will have no impact at all. The business has been sold for an ongoing business," and there should be a seamless transition. "I'm trying to track down which business" bought the property, she said.

Other stores have opened along Great Mills Road, including new restaurants, during the economic recession, she said. "I think we're pointed toward a very positive future" for Lexington Park, she said.

"What's happening on Great Mills Road is really a good thing," said Bob Schaller, director of the St. Mary's County Department of Economic and Community Development.

The worst-case scenario would have been if the Wawa had become another abandoned gas station, like the two others at the intersection of Great Mills Road and Chancellor's Run Road, he said. "The best news is that it's not going to close," he said. "Technically they're closing, but they're selling."

Bruce's statement continued, "We want the Lexington Park community to know that while we may be leaving this store, we remain committed to the community and look forward to serving our customers at our nearby locations on Three Notch Road."

jbabcock@somdnews.com