From the Ground Up: Cody's Convenience Stores Travel Center

Owner/developer: Jared Enterprises Inc.

General contractor: Missouri Supermarket Builders Inc.

Architect: Bates & Associates Inc.

Engineers: Anderson Engineering Inc., civil; Miller Engineering LLC, structural; Latifi Engineering, mechanical, electrical and plumbing

Size: 10,000 square feet

Estimated cost: $1 million, according to a city of Springfield building permit

Lender: Wood & Huston Bank

Estimated completion date: April

Project description: This will be the first travel center for Springfield-based Cody’s Convenience Stores. It will be about twice as big as regular Cody’s stores, and it will feature a truckers’ lounge, showers, game room and communications room with phones and Internet-connected computers. It also will have three separate fueling areas – one for cars, one for buses and recreational vehicles and one for tractor-trailers, according to Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President Curtis Jared. When the travel center opens, it should be the chain’s 37th store. A newly constructed store on South Campbell Avenue should open in March, and Jared said he also plans to close in March on 10 store acquisitions at undisclosed locations in southwest Missouri.

Reporter Cory Smith brings you new projects each week. He may be reached by e-mail at csmith@sbj.net, by fax at (417) 799-0603 or by phone at (417) 616-5854.