Progress on Maplewood’s new QuikTrip has pushed through a challenging winter.
According to the company’s St. Louis real estate manager, Alan Renner, the planned opening date, weather permitting, is May 12.
Renner also said there is generally no overlap in closing existing stores and opening new ones, so that’s the day many in Maplewood will change their gas-buying habits.
QuikTrip is leasing the property for the existing store, and plans to sublease when it moves, though Renner said there are no tenants planned so far.
As a resident of Maplewood, I would love to hear if and when QT moves forward with a tenant for their old location. It would be nice to be able to consider and veto possible tenants, but I know that’s completely wishful thinking.
On a related note, why can’t the building that housed a Quizno’s/some old sub shop located on Big Bend find a tenant? I wish that building could get torn down our rehabbed as well.
Heard from an employee 3 months ago that the old sore was closing May 1st no matter what. Also from what I understand that they have 1 year to try to sell the place to another business as a gas station or then they have to dig up the current tanks.
Jane, you may be correct, and shame on them if what you say is fact. Do you have insight into the situation? Meaning, do you know that the tenant they had in mind backed out and that no one has the potential to replace them? Not giving QT a pass on this one, but just b/c you saw an older store on the Rock Road empty, does not mean the Maplewood store will not be occupied. I grow tired of corporate bashing if there is not justification.
No, I have no additional insight, just my own observations through the process. And no, I do not know for certain what happened, but at the time they clearly said they had three interested parties. This was part of their public platform urging voters to yes on the proposition. They very much exuded confidence that the space would be filled in a timely fashion. I also recall a councilperson saying he had seen the list of interested parties and that one in particular was an exciting alternative. I would like more clarification from Quiktrip and the council what happened to these potentials. Did they all back down? I think a degree of healthy skepticism is appropriate in this scenario, and I do think that we can often judge the likelihood of future results (Maplewood) based on past realities (Rock Road). That’s not thoughtless corporate bashing but rather refusing to be naive when current claims directly contradict past quasi-promises. Like I said before, I hope I’m proven wrong, because ultimately I want what is best for my city. I hope the space is filled soon.
Where is the exciting new tenant that Quiktrip claimed existed during the whole discussion over the move last year? Surprise, surprise. They are nowhere to be found now. This was one of the large points that Quiktrip made, namely that there wouldn’t be an eyesore left on Big Bend. I was dubious about this claim from the beginning, especially when I drove to their next generation store over on St. Charles Rock Rd. and saw how they left the older model nearby. I hope to be proven wrong on this, but it’s just another example of a corporation stretching the truth in order to swing things their way. Nothing new to see here.