Casey’s Seeks Variance For New Molino Convenience Store At Highway 29, Highway 97

January 11, 2025

Developers of a new Casey’s Convenience Store at Highway 29 and Highway 97 in Molino are seeking a code variance for additional signage.

We first reported the new Casey’s store plans for Molino back in November. According to an application recently filed with the Escambia County Board of Adjustment Casey’s is seeing a variance request for two pylon signs with a height of almost 33 feet and wall signs.

In their application, Casey’s noted that the existing Tom Thumb across the road has a freestanding sign that exceeds the code allowance of 10 feet.

After evaluation, county staff is recommending that the variance be approved.

“Granting of the variance will be consistent with the general intent and purpose of the Land Development Code and will not be injurious to the area or otherwise detrimental to the public welfare,” the staff wrote, finding that the signage would be reasonable when compared to similar convenience stores in the county.

Casey’s, the third largest convenience store and fifth largest pizza chain in the U.S. Casey’s Director of Communications Katie Petru told Northescambia.com. She said the timetable for opening is not yet known since the project moves forward.

Casey’s is a Fortune 500 company operating over 2,600 convenience stores. According to a July press release, Casey’s announced the acquisition of Files Wholesale, owner of CEFCO Convenience Stores, in an all-cash transaction for $1.145 billion for 198 stores.

Plans show the Casey’s in Molino to be 4,360 square feet with parking lot access from both Highway 29 southbound and Highway 97 north of the Crabtree Church Road intersection. The plans, which contain just one small low-quality image, appear to show six pumps in front of the store.

Plans were filed for a convenience store in the same location back in 2017 and 2019 by an Atmore company, but those projects were never finalized. The new store will be across Highway 97 from an existing Cumberland Farms store that is still operating under Tom Thumb branding.

The Escambia County Board of Adjustment will meet at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, January 15 at the Escambia County Central Office Complex.

NorthEscambia.com photo and graphics, click to enlarge.

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under TOP STORIES 

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