ROCKINGHAM, Vt. – Sandri Energy, based in Greenfield, Mass., is ready to build a new, $2 million convenience store and Dunkin’ restaurant at Exit 6 off I-91, in Rockingham, near where the existing Sunoco Energy convenience store sits.
According to Erika Young, Sandri Energy vice president of store operations, the company is hoping to start construction in late September. This will take approximately three months, and the existing store will remain open during construction.
The new store has already received approval from the Town of Rockingham, as well as the Vermont Agency of Transportation, and an Act 250 state land-use permit is currently in the works. The land being utilized for the new store, restaurant, and drive-thru is an 11-acre lot on Route 103, next to the Exit 6 southbound onramp. It is also the same area where the current store stands.
“We are closing out the Act 250 permitting process; given that we may run out of time with winter approaching, the project will likely start in early spring 2025,” Young said in a recent interview. “We will build the new store behind the current location, to lessen the interruption in business. Once the new building is complete, which will take approximately three to four months, we will tear down the current building.”
The new store and restaurant/drive-thru window will be constructed behind the current store and further away from the road, and the existing gas pumps and canopy will remain in place, with new landscaping surrounding the property. The current store is 2,300 square feet, while the size of the new store will increase to some 4,300 square feet. Store parking will be on the footprint of the old store.
“The new store is going to be much bigger than the existing store, doubled in size,” Young said. “We will be adding diesel fuel at the pumps, as well as a much larger selection of beverages, fresh and warm food offerings, and self-checkout for those who prefer that option. The new store will be much bigger, cleaner, and more modern.”
The decision to either start construction at the end of September or wait until the spring to begin building should be made within the next week. Once that decision is made, bids will go out to choose a contractor. Sandri Energy is investing an estimated $2 million in the project, and the new store and restaurant will require a new water and wastewater system.
Sandri Energy also owns and operates similar convenience stores in Williston and Greenfield, Mass. A decision is not being made at this time on whether the new store will apply for a liquor license.