Speedway, already considered the dominant fuel station chain in the New Carlisle area, has plans to add two more locations in town, sources have confirmed.

Speedway at S. Main St. and Lake Ave. Photo via http://new.newcarlislenews.net/

With two stations already located at the intersection of Main St. and Lake Ave., Speedway is looking to claim all four corners of the junction by opening stores on the North Main side of the street. New Carlisle Federal Savings & Loan and Family Video (part of the McAdams shopping center) currently occupy the other two corners, but Speedway is reportedly looking to place yet another fuel station where the NCF building currently stands and a Speedway branded general store where Family Video currently resides. At this time it is unclear whether Speedway intends to demolish some or all of the McAdams shopping center. Also unclear are the plans for NCF and Family Video. Attempts to contact both went unanswered.

Local resident Bill Tindewall, a loyal Speedway customer who claims to have amassed over 1 million Speedy Rewards points in his lifetime, outlined some of his feelings about the potential all-Speedway crossing. “I’ll go to any Speedway as long as it has a roller grill with cheeseburger hot dogs and tornados,” Tindewall said. “If not, no way. I guarantee citizens would be out there picketing because we aren’t giving up any more freedoms to big corporations. But yeah, I’d be ok with it as long as they have the roller grill.”

New Carlisle has proven that two Speedway locations a mere 40 feet apart are viable, as both current stations currently experience steady traffic. Whether the city can support two additional stations remains to be seen, but Main and Lake has suggested a list of potential features of the new Speedway stores that would ensure success of all 4 locations.

• A children’s PlayPlace
• HARD LIQUOR
• Call the general store “J&E, by Speedway”
• Roller grills wall-to-wall
• Slot machines/Keno
• One of those boxing arcade games that measures punching power
• Sell TruckNutz
• A tram system to take customers to each of the 4 Speedways
• A gun range

New Carlisle is always in need of new business, so the prospect of opening two more successful gas stations in town is a welcome one. Though surely their bottom line dictates the reasoning, it is still refreshing to see a large corporation like Speedway take such an interest in our small town. Perhaps this success could show other businesses that New Carlisle is fertile ground for commerce and help restore our city’s economy to Reagan-levels.