Smelterville excited for Maverik
Work continues to progress on the upcoming Maverik gas station in Smelterville. The city is excited for the new store and will be doing some infrastructure upgrades in the coming months to make sure that the city can handle the additional traffic that is expected with the new store.
JOSH McDONALD
SMELTERVILLE — Work is progressing quickly at the site of a future Maverik store, with an opening slated for the fourth quarter of this year.
The 6,000-square-foot store will be one of the company’s larger facilities, and the expanded design will make it easily accessible for semi-trucks, recreational vehicles and passenger vehicles.
“I think Maverik coming to Smelterville is a really good thing,” Mayor Tom Benson said. “The City Council and I pushed hard for it, and we think it will help develop the other properties in that area.”
To assist with permitting, the city annexed the property Maverik purchased from the county in 2022 — similar to what it did for Walmart, Grocery Outlet and Dollar Tree.
Benson and the city are planning infrastructure upgrades to help with an increase in traffic. The Airport Road overpass into Smelterville has deteriorated and has been repatched numerous times since Walmart was built in the early 2000s, but the city is planning a replacement.
“We have to fix that road,” Benson said. “When it was built, it wasn’t designed for the traffic that crosses it and it’s only going to increase.”
Benson said the city is anticipating a $3-4 million project and is pursuing grants and other funds to pay for it.
“It’s our goal to complete this project without having to float a bond,” Benson said.
Megan Valentine, a communications specialist for Maverik Inc., highlighted the upcoming store's amenities, including outdoor picnic tables and fresh food.
“Maverik is always looking to enter and consider expanding in areas where customers have unmet needs for fueling, great food and adventure,” Valentine said. “We’re excited about our growth in Idaho and look forward to exploring additional opportunities to serve even more Idaho customers.”