Last week, the Jacksons Food Store and Shell fueling station at 515 NE 82nd Avenue closed for renovations. Crews have removed gas pumps and enclosed the site with construction fencing. Demolition crews will remove the two structures on the property within the next few months. In 2020, the gas station’s owners purchased the neighboring vacant restaurant to the north. That acquisition doubles the property’s size, making room for a 4,452-square-foot convenience store.

The combined site at the northwest corner of NE 82nd Avenue and Glisan Street will feature a large detached Jacksons Food Store in the center of the rectangular lot. The developers intend to construct a public plaza near the intersection with covered seating and landscaping. An updated fueling canopy and gas pumps will remain close to their current location.

Improvements to the property will trigger sidewalk reconstruction along both streets, creating wider and safer public walkways. The project designers will reposition vehicle entrances and reduce the number of crossings where pedestrians and drivers interact.

When completed, the new fueling station and store will have an address of 611 NE 82nd Avenue and occupy nearly a full acre. The building will site close to the 82nd Avenue sidewalk, allowing pedestrians to enter the store without walking through a parking lot, as previous customers once did. Designers plan parking access on the north and south sides of the convenience store.

Soon demolition crews will begin removing the former Pizza Hut building and the existing small store. Then workers will construct the new structures, sidewalks, and plaza. Although the storefront is expanding, the fueling capacity will not dramatically increase. Look for work to continue at the site for the remainder of the year, with an expected reopening in 2023.