New facility to serve I-5 travelers
| Wednesday, Dec 09 2009 05:34 PM
Last Updated Wednesday, Dec 09 2009 05:35 PM
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Felix Adamo / The Californian The new TravelCenters of America is located just east of I-5 off Laval Road.
Felix Adamo / The Californian Diesel Island at the TravelCenters of America's new center is where the professional drivers stop to refuel their rigs and themselves. The new facility is located at Laval Road and I-5
Felix Adamo / The Californian Bob Stine of Tejon Ranch was on hand for the unveiling of the new TravelCenters of America facility.
From a retail development perspective, there are two kinds of people who get off Interstate 5 at Laval Road: the ones heading north, and the ones going south.
Those headed north are in for a change.
Starting Friday, travelers looking for gas and a bite to eat won't be able to stop by the old TravelCenters of America, or "TA," which was the only building near the exit when it opened 25 years ago on the east side of the interstate.
Instead, they'll have to drive an extra few hundred feet to the new TA, where they'll be able to check out upgraded amenities, a larger staff and a wider selection of fast food.
The new TA is the latest corporate partnership to grow out of Tejon Ranch Co.'s surrounding Tejon Industrial Complex. Tejon Ranch and TravelCenters of America together invested in -- and expect to share revenues from -- the $25 million travel center designed to serve the estimated 121,000-a-day stream of travelers up and down The Grapevine.
The new center is no drastic change from what's there now. Professional drivers will continue to have access to nearby fueling, repair and maintenance facilities, as well as on-site showers, laundry facilities and a movie room. And car travelers still will be able to shop for general merchandise and eat at Burger King, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut -- plus, now their options include Popeyes and Subway.
With the change has come new employment. While the old TA has employed about 85 workers, people involved with the project said the new complex will provide jobs for 135 employees. Also, building the new TA took the work of more than 60 local subcontractors who together with TravelCenters of America and the prime contractor, Bakersfield's Wallace & Smith, have put in almost 90,000 man-hours since mid-February.
What's more, the project that was two and a half years in planning stages came in "ahead of schedule and on budget," a point that won applause at Wednesday's unveiling ceremony when it was pointed out by TravelCenters of America's senior construction manager, John C. Goetz.
Barry Hibbard, Tejon Ranch's vice president of commercial and industrial development, said the new TA will serve as an anchor for the surrounding industrial center, a 1,450-acre warehousing and retail center still being built out.
But will it lure southbound travelers as well?
Turns out it doesn't need to: There are travel centers on both sides of the interstate at Laval, and the one on the west side -- a Petro complex -- is also owned by TravelCenters of America under a corporate acquisition that took effect about two years ago.
