A Penns Valley Wawa is in the works. Here’s the latest on the plans
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- The Centre County Commissioners approved an MOU for a planned Wawa in Potter Township.
- The 6,577-square-foot Wawa would include eight fuel pumps, 57 parking spaces and more.
- Wawa seeks to open up to 40 central Pa. stores by 2030 as part of national expansion.
After plans for a Penns Valley Wawa were unveiled late last year, the Centre County commissioners had a look Tuesday at the proposal and approved one of the steps necessary for the development of the Philadelphia-based chain.
A MOU between the county, Potter Township and Wawa — to be located at 2892 Earlystown Road, a former Snappy’s location — was approved unanimously by the commissioners Tuesday following a presentation of the Wawa’s land development plans by County Planner Chris Schnure.
The final plans have not yet been reviewed by Potter Township, which approved the MOU in November.
The agreement ensures that Wawa would reimburse any costs associated with processing, reviewing, inspecting and approving the engineering aspects of the plan to the township’s engineer, according to Schnure.
The 6,577-square-foot gas station will be located at the corner of Earlystown and Old Fort roads, near Sheetz and a Dunkin’ location. Access to the Wawa will be made available from both roads.
Included in the Wawa’s development plans are eight gas pumps for 16 total vehicles, a canopy over the pumps, underground fuel storage tanks, an air station, a trash corral, a window to pickup online orders and 57 parking spaces.
The convenience store will also be wrapped in a manufactured stone veneer, and will come with a Dutch Seam metal roof.
Because the project’s final land development plans have yet to be approved by the township, a timeline for construction is not known yet.
“We’re just following up on the necessary contracts today, and making sure all of the right groups get paid,” Commissioner Mark Higgins said.
Wawa will be leasing the land for this location from the Smith-Pletcher Home Association, which is associated with the Smith-Pletcher American Legion Post. The existing structures on the property will be removed, Schnure said.
Now that the MOU has been approved, the final land development plan can move back to the Potter Township supervisors for approval, provided that all other zoning and regulatory hurdles have been overcome.
What about other Centre County Wawa locations?
There are three Wawa locations in the works in Centre County, though none have started construction yet. The first one announced would be located along the Benner Pike, directly across from Sheetz. The second, in Ferguson Township near Champs Sports Grill, became public in August 2023 but plans have not officially submitted to the township for approval.
It’s not clear when Centre County’s first Wawa might open, but the plans in and around Happy Valley are part of a larger expansion mission by Wawa. The gas station chain currently boasts just over 1,000 stores and is looking to have 1,800 by 2030 — by expanding in the Midwest, South and in central Pennsylvania.
Wawa CEO Chris Gheysens called it “the most aggressive growth” in Wawa’s 60-year history, according to C-Store Dive, a news outlet focused on the convenience store industry.
Last April, Wawa announced it was aiming to open 40 new locations in central Pennsylvania by 2030. It hopes to open five to seven stores every year. However, Centre County was not among the counties listed when discussing projected openings in 2025.
In that same announcement, Wawa said it anticipated spending $7 million to build each store in central Pa. and believed about 35 employees would work at each location.
More information about Potter Township’s planned Wawa location will be shared at the township’s future supervisor meetings, which take place at 7 p.m. on the first and third Mondays of each month.