The Colonial Squire Motel in Ripley will be demolished and replaced with a Love’s Travel Stop. Photo by Roger Coda

A new $13 million travel stop in Ripley is expected to break ground this spring and be completed before the year is out.

During the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency’s Board of Director’s meeting, Linda Burns and Milan Tyler gave a presentation on the proposed Love’s Travel Stop and Country Stores.

Love’s is proposed to be located at the first New York exit for the Thruway on Shortman Road, where the former Colonial Squire Motel is located. The facility will consist of a convenience store, a fast food restaurant and a tire repair building. There will be separate areas for truck and auto fueling as well as separate auto and truck parking areas.

Burns shared the history of Love’s with the IDA board. She noted that they were founded in 1964 and are headquartered in Oklahoma City. They have more than 530 locations in 41 states, providing motorists 24-hour access. They offer heavy duty tire repair, mechanical services and roadside assistance. They have more than 28,000 employees in their travel stops and managers can earn between $60,000 to $80,000 a year.

Burns said the county has been working with Love’s on their $13,325,000 proposal for over a year. The terminal is scheduled to be 22,000 square feet on a 16 acre parcel.

The development is expected to create 100 construction jobs and another 43 full-time positions once it’s in operation.

In April, the Ripley Town Board issued a negative declaration under the State Environmental Quality Review, which allowed for the development. They appeared before the county IDA Tuesday seeking a preliminary agreement for real property tax abatement, and a sales and use tax exemption.

Burns noted that they did not request a mortgage recording tax abatement.

Tyler shared that Love’s is negotiating a host community agreement with the Ripley Town Board. Because of this, Love’s will need to come back to the county IDA once that agreement is finalized.

“This is a tremendous and exciting opportunity for Chautauqua County,” said CCIDA Chairman Mike Metzger, adding that it’s going on land that hasn’t been utilized in several years.

Board member Mark Odell, who is also a Republican county legislator from Brocton, noted that Love’s can enhance the possibility of a Ripley gateway center. “I think this is a good step,” he said.

CCIDA Chief Executive Officer Mark Geise called Love’s a “win-win” project. “Not only does it create commerce at our gateway, but it also, through the host agreement, allows the town to do needed upgrades to their water and sewer infrastructure,” he said.

IDA officials said bids are out seeking to demolish the Colonial Squire Motel. As long as all the agreements are in place, the development is scheduled to break ground April 19 and be completed in 2021. Love’s is currently building a center in Bath, NY on I-86.

The preliminary resolution was unanimously passed by the county IDA.