Wawa headed to Denton

DENTON – During the Denton Town Council’s Jan. 2 meeting, Town Administrator Scott Getchell reported on new businesses, including Wawa, that may be coming to town in the not-too-distant future.

Construction of the long-planned Commerce Drive is bogged down in financing negotiations, however. The future road will run from the traffic light on Legion Road at the Walmart entrance to State Route 404 across from Gay Street.

The Wawa project has received conditional approval, “and it's conditional because they need Commerce Drive in order to build. And Commerce Drive is held up,” Getchell said in a Jan. 8 interview.

The development of Commerce Drive is a partnership between two private developers, but their negotiations over the past few years have not panned out, he said.

However, “the town is very serious about this road getting built, not just for Wawa, but for all the potential commercial benefits of that area.”

The council is working with the town attorney to “create an agreement that essentially puts the town in the driver's seat with the contributions from all the benefiting developers,” Getchell said. “So, we're working on that. We pretty much have a draft.”

“That road will then be the launch of Wawa, because they need it not just for access, but it will carry utilities to their site, too,” he said.

In the town’s 2020 Comprehensive Plan a future “critical intersection” of Commerce Drive and Gay Street at 404 would be needed.

Wawa would join Royal Farms’ two Denton locations, Bullock’s, Carroll’s Market and Goose Creek as another of the county seat’s combination gas and convenience stores.

Also coming to the north side of Legion Road behind the new Dunkin Donuts will be a Wendy’s, which has conditional site approval.

Altogether, commercial-zoned property on the Dunkin Donuts side of Legion Road comprises about 22 acres. JPA Ventures LLC owns 84 acres on the north side of Legion Road.

With the request of an extension of time from last year, Popeye’s is slated to be built this spring or summer at the south end of Denton Plaza between Goodwill and Carroll Markets gas station.

The addition of Eden Town Brewing Company on the east end of Gay Street/Business 404, in fall 2025 will be a “nice amenity for the town,” Getchell said. “It’s going to be a classy place.”