Maverick breaks ground, finally

RITZVILLE – Groundwork for a new gas station and convenience store at the Interstate 90-state Highway 261 interchange is underway.

At the Tuesday, April 16, City Council meeting, Clerk/Treasurer Julie Flyckt announced the general contractor and earthwork subcontractor have finally broken ground for construction of a new Maverick gas station.

The station will be located across the road from Love's Travel Stop, next to Big Bend Electric. According to survey maps, an existing truck driveway at Love's will align with a new road called "Homestead Avenue" adjacent to the Maverick lot.

The gas station will be built on a "short plat" or land subdivision covering 181,175 square feet or approximately 4 acres.

"It's a very exciting start," Flyckt said. "Especially when so much time has been expended on the project."

Eighteen months ago, the project was certainly not a "done deal."

At a September 2022 City Council meeting, she noted that Maverick developers were working to complete the initial planning requirements.

At the time, Flyckt said, "Maverick has submitted an access permit to the Washington State Department of Transportation. They need permit approval to gain access from the highway (State Highway 261) to the lot where they're planning to build."

Construction of the Maverick gas station was initially slated to begin in the spring of 2023.

But that didn't happen, in part because the project was on hold while developers waited for state Transportation officials to complete the process.

Derek and Susan Schafer own a 287-acre property-known as Grainland Acres that was annexed to the city in April 2021.

If the Schafers' overall plans come to fruition, Maverick will be the first of many firms to take advantage of their site.

The property includes 84 acres zoned "general commercial" and 203 acres designated high- density residential.

But as Derek Schafer noted in September 2022, "Some very costly safety upgrades need to be designed, funded, and built before the project can move forward."