Emporia city leaders are awaiting formal documents to support a potential travel plaza in far west Emporia.
The city has been in regular contact with Brown Stone Development 3 LLC about the development for several weeks. The city says Brown Stone is in its final review stage and expects to submit documents by early March.
Jerid Thomas, owner of Thomas Transfer and Property, has confirmed to KVOE News the development will go on his property near the southern roundabout connecting US Highway 50 to Interstate 35 and the Kansas Turnpike. An agreement was finalized “in the last two weeks,” according to Thomas. Other terms have not been announced. The better than 30 acres involved are currently zoned for mixed-use developments, so no changes are needed in that regard to move the project forward.
In January, developer John Brown told KVOE News the project could bring several nationally-known restaurants and hotels to the property along with an RV park. Brown says the travel plaza could be a $35 million to $40 million project, similar to projects in the research or development stage in Edgerton and Hays, and would create at least 100 jobs. Final numbers on restaurants and hotels, along with other plans for the development, have not been announced.
If approved by Emporia city commissioners, the new travel plaza will be near the longstanding Flying J travel plaza, which includes a truck stop, gas station and the Huddle House restaurant, and the Emporia RV Park.
