Golden Gate Petroleum plans to break ground next month a new truck stop across from McDonald’s on the Highway 95 bypass. (Tanya Bunch photo)
By Stephen Tool, Special to MCIN
Hawthorne residents can soon expect the sights, smells and sounds of construction activity across the street from McDonald’s. Golden Gate Petroleum, a Martinez, Calif., based distributor of fuel and lubricants, intends to build a truck stop at the site.
Shelley Hartmann, executive director of the Mineral County Economic Development Authority, says GGP thought Hawthorne’s location on Highway 95 was perfect for a truck stop with 1.5 million vehicles passing through each year. The company subsequently purchased property from the county and the El Capitan casino to get the ball rolling.
Along with a fueling canopy, the truck stop also includes a large pad for truck parking, a 5,500 square foot convenience store and a fast food space tentatively slated for Port of Subs. Another potential site pad on the property may house a separate fast food restaurant in the future.
Hartmann says the project should break ground sometime between early and mid-March depending on technical details such as land appraisals. The project is on a fast track, says Hartmann, initial contact between GGP and the MCEDA was only about three months ago.
“All the Golden Gate truck stops we’ve seen are beautiful and they go up pretty quickly. That’s good news for everybody as well,” Hartmann said.
Along with the added business to the community the truck stop will provide, Hartmann is also happy the new jobs provided will help decrease local unemployment.
“We’re really excited,” Hartmann says. “This is really a quality company with a great track record. When you see all the projects they’ve done in the region, they are very professional and outstanding projects.”
