GARY – Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson hosted a groundbreaking with representatives from TravelCenters of America (TravelCenters), operator of TA and Petro Stopping Centers at the new Petro Stopping Centers, 3001 Grant Street.
“This partnership is another example of why developing the Department of Commerce and Economic Development Corporation was a good decision,” said Freeman-Wilson. “We’ve been able to attract another business to our city that will provide both great services as well as jobs to our citizens.”
Scheduled to reopen in the first half of 2013, the Gary Petro location will offer professional drivers and the community the finest in travel center amenities. The 28.6-acre site will offer 340 truck parking spaces, a 237-seat Iron Skillet Restaurant, a travel store stocked with driver merchandise, a six-bay PetroLube truck service facility, 15 diesel lanes, 15 driver showers operated by a fully automated reservation system, a combination Taco Bell/Pizza Hut quick-serve restaurant for those who need to quickly get back on the road, a free StayFit fitness room, a laundry with machines that accept credit/debit card payments and send the user a text message when the cycle is finished, a full-service Verizon UltraMobile store, and a professional driver movie and TV rooms
TA has committed to working with the City of Gary to ensure that Gary residents work on the construction site and connect them to the jobs that will be available once the project is complete.
“I’m very happy about the groundbreaking for the new Petro location in Gary,” said Tom O’Brien, president and CEO of TravelCenters. “We are thrilled to be able to bring a brand new, state-of-the-art, full-service travel center to the professional driving population and the city of Gary.”
