West Lawrence motorists will get a new option for gasoline purchases on Thursday, and they may get a glimpse at the future of how convenience stores are built too.
Hy-Vee is set to open its new gasoline station and convenience store at the corner of Clinton Parkway and Crossgate Drive at 6 a.m. on Thursday. When it opens, it will become the first gold-level LEED certified convenience store in Lawrence and the first for the Hy-Vee corporation anywhere.
The certification means the company is taking extra steps to ensure the store is environmentally friendly.
“The company has been looking for a place to test this type of format, and we thought Lawrence was the perfect fit,” said Andrew Yochum, the store director for the Hy-Vee at 3504 Clinton Parkway, which will oversee the convenience store.
Among the features built into the store are:
• Solar panels atop the canopy covering the station’s gas pumps.
• A rooftop rain collection system that will store water that will be used to operate the store’s toilets.
• Concrete floors that don’t require wax or other chemicals to clean.
• LED lighting and skylights that are expected to cut down on the store’s energy usage.
• Landscaping beds that use native plants that require very little watering.
• A grass lawn planted with buffalo grass instead of standard fescue. Yochum said the buffalo grass is expected to use so little water that the store was allowed to be built without an irrigation system.
Yochum said Hy-Vee officials are optimistic the store will be a significant money-saver on utility bills.
“On a sunny day, the skylights pretty much will light the store,” Yochum said. “Any retail store that has the amount of refrigeration or electronics that we use requires a lot of energy. I’m real interested in seeing what we can do about that.”
Lawrence motorists likely are interested in seeing what it will be like to have a convenience store along busy Clinton Parkway. The store will become the first convenience store on Clinton Parkway between Iowa and Wakarusa.
The facility will have 16 fueling stations and a 3,200-square-foot convenience store. Yochum said the store will have the feel of a Hy-Vee grocery store because the convenience store actually will be managed as a department of Hy-Vee’s Clinton Parkway store.
Yochum said that means the store will feature salads, sandwiches and bakery items from the nearby grocery store each day.
“We think the amount of fresh food in the store will surprise people,” Yochum said.
The store also will allow people to take their Hy-Vee grocery receipts to the convenience store to receive discounts on gasoline.
Hy-Vee is increasing its Lawrence workforce by three full-time employees and 12 part-time employees to operate the store — which will be open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. but will feature 24-hour fueling.
Comments
srj 8 months, 3 weeks ago
Will this kill the Miller Mart down the street?
Hooligan_016 8 months, 3 weeks ago
No, they have live bait and booze there :P
kufan1146 8 months, 3 weeks ago
Awesome! I think it's great that corporations are starting to move towards more green models. I'll be sure to do more of my grocery shopping at Hy-Vee over Dillons now. It's great that they are making strides forward. It's a win-win.
Hooligan_016 8 months, 3 weeks ago
Agreed. However, after seeing the site the past week, they should have done something with low-maintenance landscaping as well (instead of just laying down fescue)
magnus 8 months, 3 weeks ago
Did you miss the part about native plants & buffalo grass, as the article stated? • Landscaping beds that use native plants that require very little watering. • A grass lawn planted with buffalo grass instead of standard fescue. Yochum said the buffalo grass is expected to use so little water that the store was allowed to be built without an irrigation system.
Hooligan_016 8 months, 2 weeks ago
It was a long day, I'm sorry.
travelinggeek 8 months, 3 weeks ago
The new Dillon's on Mass St was built green also. They also have skylights in the store, and on their first day open, I looked up and no flourescent lights were on. The entire store was being lit by the skylights. They did other things green also, I just don't know what all it is off hand. BTW, as much as I like Hy-Vee, their prices, last time we shopped there, were about 30% higher than Dillons.
KRichards 8 months, 2 weeks ago
Always are. I compared 10 items between the two stores last time I went shopping. Hyvee was higher on 8 out of 10, tied on 1 and lower on the last. Produce is especially high at Hyvee.
lawrenceks66 8 months, 2 weeks ago
I thought so too. I get my produce at Checkers.
lawrenceks66 8 months, 2 weeks ago
Actually - the new Dillons store on Massachusetts is supposed to be a green store.
formerfarmer 8 months, 3 weeks ago
Hopefully it will give them the competition they need to lower their prices.
jackbinkelman 8 months, 2 weeks ago
Ha!
oletimer 8 months, 2 weeks ago
did you not read the statements previously? really?
kansasplains1 8 months, 3 weeks ago
I'm very impressed. Not only Dillons but now Hy-Vee in a convenience store.
If possible, be sure that you carry Sweet Leaf Tea, too!
aweshootpearl 8 months, 3 weeks ago
still overpriced. occasional good sales.
snap_pop_no_crackle 8 months, 3 weeks ago
Leaves instead of TP in the rest rooms!
Agnostick 8 months, 3 weeks ago
1970s: "Hy-Vee to open Swingin' convenience store on Thursday"
1980s: "Hy-Vee to open 'Classic' convenience store on Thursday"
1990s: "Hy-Vee to open 'Old School' convenience store on Thursday"
2000s: "Hy-Vee to open 'Xtreme' convenience store on Thursday"
2012: "Hy-Vee to open environmentally friendly convenience store on Thursday"
gphawk89 8 months, 3 weeks ago
If Hy-Vee truly wanted to be environmentally friendly, they could have simply not built the store. Anyone care to guess how much energy was used and how much pollution was produced manufacturing everything that went into that store?
cowboy 8 months, 3 weeks ago
Glad to see that store open. Its no mans land out there and the Miller Mart is a pathetic store.
johnnyC1987 8 months, 3 weeks ago
Miller Mart is so overpriced it is ridiculous. I give them 3 more years tops before they fold up shop. My fellow lazy people on West 23rd will no longer have to settle for high prices.
Miller Mart, you're through.
who_does_care 8 months, 2 weeks ago
Did they charge you $6.00 for soda and $5.00 for a candy like in movie theater. If you want the stuff that you find in convenience store for lower price then you need to go to a grocery store.
classclown 8 months, 3 weeks ago
"A rooftop rain collection system that will store water that will be used to operate the store’s toilets."
Good thing they weren't open the past couple of months and having to rely on this system.
"LED lighting and skylights that are expected to cut down on the store’s energy usage."
I plan to head over there and see these in action. I'm considering switching to LED as the florescents burn out, but would like to see how well they work actually lighting a room considering the cost.
KRichards 8 months, 2 weeks ago
I have LEDs in certain parts of my house and they work exceptionally well. I only use them for indirect light however.
gphawk89 8 months, 2 weeks ago
I'm skipping CFL's and will convert to LED's when the price becomes reasonable and when someone produces a LED equivalent of a 100W incandescent. I have LED strip lights under my kitchen cabinets and they light the kitchen up brighter than the two 75W overhead incandescents and use way less power.
Andini 8 months, 3 weeks ago
I plan on passing gas there frequently.
brewmaster 8 months, 3 weeks ago
It's great that there will now be an alternative to Miller Mart in that part of town. Miller Mart is trashy and high priced.
Perhaps, Hy-Vee can help Miller Mart pursue a new business model, as in "out of business."
who_does_care 8 months, 2 weeks ago
I found price of items in HyVee higher than Miller Mart's price.
merrill 8 months, 3 weeks ago
Low maintenance landscape = very smart and several steps above city hall
Buffalo grass = very smart and beautiful
Less water usage = very smart and several steps above city hall
merrill 8 months, 3 weeks ago
"When it opens, it will become the first gold-level LEED certified convenience store in Lawrence and the first for the Hy-Vee corporation anywhere. "
Way ahead of city hall......
johnnyC1987 8 months, 3 weeks ago
I hope they put MILLER MART out of business. Those people are rude and WAY OVERPRICED!
MILLER MART = OVERPRICED
Cant_have_it_both_ways 8 months, 3 weeks ago
Although I am not a fan of Miller Mart either, it is a mom and pop, thus I choose to support it when I can.
who_does_care 8 months, 2 weeks ago
Just stopped by HyVee today and found that the price of Hyvee Gas Station is higher than Miller Mart.
cowboy 8 months, 2 weeks ago
Went there this am , nice store , fresh stuff ,
oletimer 8 months, 2 weeks ago
Okay, I read all about how hy-vee is going to save money in the operation of their gas station. I don't believe I see anything about the GAS they are going to sell. Is there going to be E-85? Any other options? I don't care how much money hy-vee will save. Tell me about the gas they are going to sell.
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