If you're the buyer/developer/owner of Lot 3 (or the adjoining parcel), this covenant limits what you (or your tenants) can put on the property to maintain compatibility with the neighboring development.

 

Full List of Prohibited Uses

The covenant prohibits a long list of uses on the Adjoining Property (again, subject to the "notwithstanding existing..." grandfathering). Here's the complete list for reference:

• Theater of any kind
• Bowling alley, skating rink, amusement park, carnival, or circus
• Meeting hall, sporting event or other sports facility, auditorium, or any other like place of public assembly
• Gym or fitness center (exception: one with less than 4,000 rsf — rentable square feet — is allowed)
• Mortuary or funeral parlor
• Establishment selling cars or other motor vehicles, motor vehicle maintenance/repair shop, or gas station (excluding car washes)
• Any establishment selling trailers
• Billiard parlor
• Tavern, pub, bar, or liquor store (with the 50%+ food sales exception noted above)
• Pawn shop
• Amusement center
• Flea market
• Massage parlor
• "Disco" or other dance hall
• Tattoo or body piercing parlor
• Casino, gaming room, or "off-track betting" operation (exception: gambling that is ancillary to an otherwise permitted use)
• Sale of paraphernalia for use with illicit drugs or for the sale of marijuana
• Vape shop
• Sale, rental, or display of pornographic materials

Grandfathering Clause

The restrictions do not apply to:

• Existing leases already in effect
• Existing buildings already constructed on the Adjoining Property
• Businesses already operating prior to Closing

Anything new or changed after closing would need to comply.

What This Likely Means in Practice

If you're the buyer/developer/owner of Lot 3 (or the adjoining parcel), this covenant limits what you (or your tenants) can put on the property to maintain compatibility with the neighboring development.

If you're reviewing this as part of due diligence, key questions to ask:

• What is the exact definition of "Adjoining Property" vs. "Lot 3"?
• Who enforces this (is there a declarant/HOA/adjacent owner with approval rights)?
• Are there reciprocal restrictions on the other parcel?
• How is "gross sales from the sale of food" measured and verified (e.g., audit rights)?
• Does local zoning or alcohol licensing add further layers?

Would you like me to help rephrase this into plain-language tenant guidelines, suggest negotiation points if you're trying to modify it, or analyze how it interacts with a specific proposed use (e.g., a brewery, convenience store with beer/wine, or restaurant)? Just share more context if needed.

Can't do a liquor store. @ LOT 3

Restrictions:  Notwithstanding existing leases in effect, existing buildings already constructed on the Adjoining Property, and businesses already operating prior to Closing, the Adjoining Owners will not lease, rent, sell or occupy, or permit to be leased, rented, sold or occupied, any portion of the Adjoining Property for any of the following: a theater of any kind; bowling alley, skating rink, amusement park, carnival or circus; meeting hall, sporting event or other sports facility, auditorium or any other like place of public assembly; a gym or fitness center (except that a gym or fitness center with less than 4,000 rsf is allowed); mortuary or funeral parlor; establishment selling cars or other motor vehicles, motor vehicle maintenance or repair shop or gas station (excluding car washes), or any establishment selling trailers; billiard parlor; tavern, pub, bar or liquor store (excluding establishments that derive fifty percent (50%) or more of their gross sales from the sale of food); pawn shop; amusement center; flea market; massage parlor; "disco" or other dance hall; tattoo or body piercing parlor; casino, gaming room, or "off track betting" operation (excluding establishments with gambling ancillary to an otherwise permitted use for the Adjoining Property); for the sale of paraphernalia for use with illicit drugs or for the sale of marijuana; vape shop; or for the sale, rental or display of pornographic materials.

My Real Estate Journey (The Short Version)

 Meet Henry McClure – Deal Maker, 4th-Generation Topekan, and the Guy Who’s Seen 11 Towns and Still Calls Topeka Home

Hey there — I’m Henry McClure (@mcre1 on X), real estate broker, developer, and proud Topeka, Kansas native. If you’ve been following me on X, you already know I keep it real: no filters, no fluff, just straight talk about life, deals, and what actually works.

I’ve lived in 11 different towns across the country — from sunny Florida to the mountains of Colorado, the malls of California, and back again. Those moves taught me how communities thrive (or don’t), and they’re exactly why I’m so passionate about making Shawnee County the kind of place people want to stay and raise families in. After all that traveling, I’m happy to be home.

My Real Estate Journey (The Short Version)

I started young — right out of Washburn Rural High School and the University of Kansas — and jumped straight into the big leagues.

February 1983 – August 1996: MaceRich Company (now Macerich) I was the third person ever accepted into their national management training program. On day one, founder Mace Siegel looked me in the eye and said, “Some boys have the Army to see the country; you have MaceRich.” He wasn’t kidding.

Over the next 13+ years I lived and worked in:

• Winter Park, Florida
• Boulder & Greeley, Colorado
• Chattanooga, Tennessee
• Lakewood & Ventura, California
• Reno, Nevada …and a few more stops along the way (that’s how you hit 11 towns before you’re 40).

I went from Tenant Construction Coordinator on a $40 million mall expansion to Leasing Manager, closing hundreds of deals, spearheading award-winning renovations (two of them won Building Magazine’s Modernization Award), and generating millions in new income. I leased everything from kiosks to anchor tenants across millions of square feet of prime retail space. Those early years with Mace, Dana, Art, and Ed changed my life forever.

2000 – Present: MCRE, LLC I founded my own firm right here in Topeka. For the last 25+ years I’ve been brokering commercial deals, shopping mall redevelopments, triple-net sale-leasebacks, mixed-use/TIF projects, and helping investors and business owners unlock equity. I still represent national and local tenants, and I’m always working on the next big opportunity (right now I’m excited about the Grandma Hoerner’s Foods sale-leaseback in Alma, KS — a killer 40-year triple-net deal with strong growth numbers).

Who I Am Outside the Office

• 4th-generation Topekan with deep family roots here
• Father of a wonderful daughter (she’s why I ran for Mayor in 2025 — I want Shawnee County to be a place she’d be proud to raise her own kids)
• 45+ years licensed in Kansas
• Still the same guy who shows up at City Council meetings, live-streams on YouTube, and calls things like he sees them on X

I’m awake, direct, and I love a good conversation — whether it’s about real estate, local politics, travel stories, or what makes a town feel like home.

Come Say Hi in Topeka

Topeka’s got a lot more going for it than most people realize: wide-open skies, real community, and someone who knows how to show you the best spots. If you’re ever passing through Kansas (or thinking about a visit), reach out. Coffee, a property tour, or just a chat — I’m easy to find.

📍 Based in Topeka, Kansas 📧 mcre13@gmail.com 📱 785-383-9994

You can read the full story of my MaceRich years here: Henry McClure @ MaceRich – February 1983 to August 1996

Or check my latest deals on the blog: mcrekansas.blogspot.com

Looking forward to meeting you in person.

— Henry McClure Real Estate Broker • Developer • Deal Maker • Awake

Enduring Legacy and Kansas Ties

 Mace Siegel, Dana K. Anderson, and the MaceRich Company (later Macerich) have a fascinating origin story deeply tied to Topeka, Kansas, even though the company itself was founded in New York City. What began as a small strip-center developer in the mid-1960s exploded into one of the nation’s largest owners and operators of regional shopping malls through smart partnerships, a pivotal local deal, and aggressive growth via acquisitions and redevelopment. The Topeka connection—via a chance 1965 encounter and the 1972 acquisition of White Lakes Mall—was the spark that helped transform the company from a regional builder into a national REIT powerhouse.

The Founders and Early Days (1964–1965)

Mace Siegel (a real estate veteran who started in the business in 1952 after working for a brokerage focused on post-WWII shopping centers) partnered with his friend Richard Cohen, an experienced builder and developer. In October 1964, they combined their first names to create MaceRich Real Estate Company in New York City. Their initial focus was building strip shopping centers anchored by big discount stores (many with Arlan’s Department Stores as the anchor tenant). They developed about 18 of these early on, starting with one in Ames, Iowa. This model proved successful but was vulnerable when anchor chains like Arlan’s struggled.

The Topeka Connection: Dana K. Anderson Joins the Picture (1965–1966)

Here’s where Topeka enters the story in a big way. In 1965, Siegel and Cohen (along with Leonard Cohen) traveled to Topeka scouting properties for new shopping centers. Dana K. Anderson—a local Kansas real estate professional, KU School of Business alumnus from the Lawrence/Topeka area—was driving by and noticed them. He literally knocked on their car window to offer help (directions, local insights, or assistance with properties). Unbeknownst to him at the time, these were the founders of MaceRich.

Anderson brokered a deal for them on a stand-alone discount store in Topeka (which still operates today, most recently as Gordman’s). Impressed, he joined the company full-time in 1966. Anderson went on to have a 50+ year career with the firm, eventually becoming executive vice president, chief operating officer, and Vice Chairman Emeritus of the Board. His Kansas roots and hustle were instrumental in the company’s early Midwest expansion—he helped build 17 centers in the region and Annapolis, MD.

The Turning Point: White Lakes Mall and the Shift to Regional Malls (1972)

The real “blossom” moment came in September 1972 with MaceRich’s acquisition of White Lakes Mall in Topeka—the company’s first full regional shopping mall. (White Lakes had opened in 1964 as Topeka’s original enclosed mall.) Lacking the capital on their own, they formed a joint venture with Provident Life & Accident and Assurance Company to finance it. This deal was a game-changer: it marked the company’s pivot from building small strip centers to acquiring, owning, and redeveloping larger regional malls. It proved the model for future growth and established their reputation as the “Mall Doctor” for turning around underperforming properties.

Explosive Growth into a National REIT (1970s–Present)

From that Topeka foundation, the company expanded rapidly:

• Mid-1970s onward: They moved into Southern California (e.g., redeveloping the outdated Lakewood Center in 1975 into a thriving regional mall) and became experts at enclosing, expanding, and modernizing older malls. Headquarters eventually relocated to Santa Monica, CA.
• 1994: Went public as a REIT (real estate investment trust) on the NYSE under the ticker MAC on its 30th anniversary. This gave them access to massive capital for acquisitions without needing constant joint-venture partners. At IPO, they owned 15 properties (~10 million sq ft).
• Key later acquisitions that scaled them nationally: Westcor (2002, adding major Arizona and Colorado properties for $1.475 billion); Wilmorite Properties (2005, adding 11 centers including Tysons Corner for $2.333 billion); and many others. By the early 2000s they controlled dozens of regional malls (over 50 million+ sq ft at peaks).
• 2006: Officially rebranded from MaceRich to Macerich.

Today, Macerich remains a major publicly traded REIT (third-largest owner/operator of shopping centers in the U.S. at various points), focused on high-quality regional malls in strong markets, with ongoing redevelopment into experiential destinations. It owns interests in dozens of properties totaling tens of millions of square feet.

Enduring Legacy and Kansas Ties

The Topeka start—rooted in that 1965 car-window knock and the 1972 White Lakes deal—literally launched the modern Macerich empire. Anderson’s long tenure and local philanthropy (he’s a major KU supporter and has ties back to Lawrence/Topeka) kept the Kansas connection alive. Siegel remained a principal until later in life (he passed in 2011). The company’s story is a classic example of how a chance local opportunity in a Midwestern city like Topeka could fuel nationwide success in the retail real estate boom.

Your linked blog post (“Mace, Dana K., and the Enduring Legacy of Macerich: A Retail REIT Story”) seems to dive into exactly this narrative—celebrating the human element and Kansas roots behind the big REIT. If there are specific details from it you want me to expand on or cross-reference, just share! This Topeka-origin tale is a great piece of local business history.

Building & Structure Details

 ✅ Property Listing Statistics

Grandma Hoerner’s Foods Facility 31862 Thompson Road, Alma, KS 66401 Parcel ID: 099-079-30-0-00-00-004.00-0

Prime I-70 Highway-Service Industrial Property Total Land: 18.64 Acres Developed Commercial / Manufacturing Site

Land & Site Highlights

• Total Gross Acres: 18.64
• Market / Commercial Acres: 7.02
• Agricultural / Native Grass Acres: 11.51 (separate use valuation)
• Zoning: CP-3 – Planned Highway Service (allows commercial, manufacturing, and retail activity directly along Interstate-70)
• Location: Direct proximity to I-70 with semi-improved road access
• Topography: Rolling terrain, above street grade
• Parking: Off-street, on-site, adequate quantity
• Utilities: Rural water + lagoon septic system
• Ownership: Private fee-simple
• Site Classification: Developed site with buildings – primarily goods storage, handling, and light manufacturing

Building & Structure Details

Total Approximate Building Area: ~38,682 sq ft (across five integrated sections)

Main Structures (all metal-on-wood-frame construction):

• Storage Warehouse (Built 1997): 33,450 sq ft
  • Includes walk-in cooler (150 units) and walk-in freezer (150 units)
  • 18 ft height, single-story
• Mixed Retail / Office (Built 1997): 2,496 sq ft
  • Warmed & cooled air, mezzanine office space
• Light Manufacturing / Industrial (Built 1997): 2,496 sq ft
  • Warmed & cooled air
• Light Manufacturing Addition (Built 2008): 104 sq ft
• Storage Warehouse Addition (Built 2019): 136 sq ft

Key Site Improvements:

• Concrete paving with base (installed 1997 & 2000 – heavy-duty)
• Raised slab porch (2012) – 837 ft²
• Prefabricated storage shed (2012) – 82' × 91'
• Space heaters and canopy structures throughout

Property Use: Light industrial / miscellaneous manufacturing with significant storage, handling, and production capacity. Currently used for hot-fill food processing (jams, preserves, sauces, pie fillings).

Appraised Value (Wabaunsee County – Tax Year 2026):

• Commercial & Industrial: $481,020 ($97,850 land + $383,170 improvements)

This is a rare combination of size, location, and specialized food-grade infrastructure on Interstate-70 in Kansas — ideal for continued manufacturing, expansion, or owner-user occupancy.

In short, a sale-leaseback is often the cleanest way to turn your building equity into growth capital while making your life simpler, your costs more predictable, and your tax picture potentially more favorable over the long run.

 Here’s a clear list of the key advantages of doing a sale-leaseback when you own both the building and the business operating inside it (you sell the property to an investor and lease it back so your business stays put with no move). This strategy is popular for small-to-mid-sized businesses because it turns illiquid real estate equity into cash while letting you keep operating exactly where you are.

I’ll focus especially on the points you asked about—making things simpler and easier on yourself, potentially lower (or more manageable) lease payments, and capital-gains/tax implications—while including the bigger-picture benefits.

1. Immediate cash / liquidity without disrupting your business

• You get 100% of the property’s current fair-market value in cash (often far more than a bank would lend you at 60–80% loan-to-value on a mortgage).
• Use the proceeds for anything: expand the business, buy equipment, pay down debt, hire staff, or invest elsewhere for higher returns.
• Your business stays in the exact same location—no moving costs, no lost customers, no downtime.

2. Simpler and easier day-to-day operations (big win for “make it simpler on yourself”)

• You shed the headaches of property ownership: major repairs, roof/HVAC replacements, insurance claims, property-tax appeals, finding contractors, etc. Even in a typical triple-net (NNN) lease where you still pay most operating expenses, the new landlord now owns the asset and bears the ultimate long-term ownership risks and responsibilities.
• No more tying up your (or your staff’s) time on real-estate management—you can focus 100% on running and growing the business.
• Predictable budgeting: lease payments are usually fixed (or have modest, known escalations), versus the unpredictable spikes from ownership (sudden big repairs, fluctuating insurance/taxes). This makes cash-flow planning much easier.

3. Potentially lower or more manageable “effective” occupancy cost / lease payments

• Lease payments can often be structured lower than your current mortgage/debt service, especially if the buyer is an investor who benefits from depreciation and can offer “below-market” initial rents or favorable terms. Some deals even subsidize the early years because the buyer gets their own tax advantages.
• Full rent deduction: you deduct 100% of the lease payments as a straight business expense. When you owned the building you could only deduct mortgage interest + depreciation (not principal). For older buildings this often means bigger annual tax deductions.
• No debt covenants or refinancing risk: traditional loans usually have 5–10 year terms and restrictive rules; a sale-leaseback can lock in 10–20+ year terms with renewal options, giving you long-term stability without bank oversight.

4. Capital-gains and overall tax advantages (the “maybe less capital gains” angle)

• You do trigger capital-gains tax on the sale (sale price minus your adjusted basis), including depreciation recapture taxed as ordinary income. That is the main upfront tax hit.
• However, many owners end up with a net tax benefit over time because:
  • The larger, immediate rent deductions often exceed the old interest + depreciation deductions, lowering your taxable income year after year.
  • You can time the transaction to use net-operating losses, credits, or other offsets to reduce or eliminate the capital-gains bill in the year of sale.
  • Structuring options exist to soften the blow: installment-sale treatment (spread the gain over years), pairing with a 1031 exchange (if you simultaneously buy another investment property), or Qualified Opportunity Zone investments to defer gains. These aren’t automatic, but they are commonly used in sale-leasebacks.
• Bottom line: while the sale itself realizes the gain, the ongoing full deductibility of rent + removal of ownership costs frequently makes the overall tax picture better than continuing to own (especially for fully depreciated or low-basis buildings).

5. Balance-sheet and financing perks (makes future borrowing or selling the business easier)

• The property and associated debt come off your books → cleaner financial statements, better debt-to-equity ratios, and stronger appearance to banks or buyers.
• You improve creditworthiness and free up borrowing capacity for the business itself.

Quick reality check / things to watch

• You give up future appreciation and residual value of the building (though long-term renewal options can mitigate this).
• Lease terms are negotiable—strong credit and a desirable location help you get better rents, longer terms, and expansion rights.
• Always run the exact numbers with a tax advisor and commercial real-estate attorney (Kansas-specific state taxes and any local rules apply on top of federal). A good broker who specializes in sale-leasebacks can shop multiple investors to get the best price and lease terms.

In short, a sale-leaseback is often the cleanest way to turn your building equity into growth capital while making your life simpler, your costs more predictable, and your tax picture potentially more favorable over the long run. If you share rough numbers on your building value, basis, current mortgage, or what you want to do with the cash, I can help you think through whether it pencils out specifically for your situation.

Sale Lease Back - Confidential – For Qualified Investors Only

GRANDMA HOERNER’S FOODS, INC. Triple-Net Sale-Leaseback Opportunity

31862 Thompson Road, Alma, Kansas Direct I-70 Access | Modern Food-Grade Facility

40-Year Kansas Specialty Food Manufacturer Explosive Growth | National Retail & Private-Label Partnerships

Investment Highlights • Proven 40-year operator with heritage recipes and scalable manufacturing • Major new private-label awards secured with ALDI, Trader Joe’s, Buc-ee’s, UNFI and others • 2025 actual revenue: $12.0 million (50% growth) • 2026 forecast: $17.0–17.8 million revenue | $950,000+ EBITDA • 2027 roadmap target: $35.5 million revenue (new packaging formats, foodservice, club stores, expanded private-label volume) • Diversified revenue: Branded lines (Grandma Hoerner’s™, Big Slice Apples™, McCoy’s Real™) + high-volume private label • Retail partners: Costco, TJX Companies, World Market, Albertsons, Sprouts, KeHE, Hy-Vee and more • Certifications: USDA Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified, FSSC 22000, Made in USA

The Opportunity Grandma Hoerner’s owns and operates a modern, expandable food-processing facility on I-70 in Alma, Kansas. The company is seeking a $6 million sale-leaseback to unlock immediate equity from the real estate, deleverage the balance sheet, fund new production lines (pouch packaging, plastic squeeze bottles, small-format specialty items), and support working-capital needs for its 2× revenue growth trajectory.

The buyer/landlord will receive a 7% cap-rate return through an absolute triple-net (NNN) lease at $35,000 per month. The tenant retains 100% operational control under a 40-year NNN lease with annual escalators and renewal options.

Property Snapshot • Modern production facility with hot-fill glass-jar capability (8–40 oz) • 40,000+ units per shift capacity • Direct interstate access for national distribution • Ongoing equipment investments already in place • Food-safe, expandable site with strong residual value

Why This Is a Standout Credit Turnaround complete. Pricing stabilized. New multi-year contracts now in production. Once a private-label supplier is approved, retention and expansion become far less challenging. This is a growth-enabled real estate play — not just a building, but a cash-flowing credit tenant positioned for national scale in the booming specialty food category.

Structure • Sale price: $6,000,000 (market-value appraisal target) • Lease: 40-year absolute triple-net (NNN) at $35,000/month (7% cap rate) • Use of proceeds: Debt reduction + growth capex + working capital

Ready to move forward? Contact Henry McClure | 785-383-9994 | mcre13@gmail.com for the full CIM, financial package, growth roadmap, and property tour.

Grandma Hoerner’s Foods, Inc. 31862 Thompson Road, Alma, Kansas 66401 grandmahoerners.com | bigsliceapples.com

Confidential – For Qualified Investors Only

5. What Topeka Specifically Missed (The Recent Maverik Proposal) #mcre1

 A truck stop like a Maverik Adventure’s First Stop on a prime I-70 on/off-ramp site is a legitimate economic engine for a community — especially in a logistics-heavy state like Kansas. These facilities don’t just sell gas and snacks; they generate direct jobs, steady tax revenue, supply-chain spending, and multiplier effects that ripple through local businesses. Below is a data-driven deep dive based on industry reports, comparable examples, and Maverik’s own scale. I’ll also tie it directly to Topeka’s recent experience with the proposed Maverik project.

1. Direct Economic Contributions (Jobs + Local Spending)

Modern truck stops/travel centers typically employ 50–100+ people per location in full-time roles (cashiers, food prep, maintenance, managers, security).

• A single Love’s Travel Stop in Dickinson County, KS (I-70 corridor) created 60 new jobs when it opened.
• Construction phase adds another 50–100 temporary jobs and millions in local contractor spending.

Ongoing operations drive driver and traveler spending: Long-haul truckers (who stop for fuel, food, showers, and rest) spend $50–200+ per visit on non-fuel items. With thousands of daily vehicles on I-70, this adds up fast.

2. Tax Revenue and Fiscal Impact

Truck stops generate significant sales tax, property tax, and fuel-tax collections that flow to cities, counties, and the state.

• Nationally, the truck-stop/travel-center industry contributes over $22.5 billion in taxes annually (NATSO data). A single high-traffic site can produce $500,000–$2 million+ per year in combined local/state taxes, depending on volume.
• Fuel sales alone (diesel + gasoline) trigger excise taxes that fund roads and infrastructure — Kansas benefits directly from I-70 traffic.
• Property taxes on a 10-acre developed site rise dramatically once built (from farmland/agricultural rates to commercial). One Maverik project document referenced a total economic impact of $403.3 million tied to its operations (likely company-wide or for a cluster of sites, but illustrative of scale).

For a freeway-adjacent site like your parcel, the location maximizes capture of interstate traffic. I-70 is a major freight corridor; sites right at exits see 10,000–50,000+ vehicles daily, turning into reliable revenue even in slower economic periods.

3. Multiplier Effects and Broader Community Benefits

The “multiplier” (every $1 spent at the truck stop generates $1.50–$3+ elsewhere) comes from:

• Supply chain: Food suppliers, fuel distributors, maintenance vendors, and laundry services buy locally.
• Nearby businesses: Hotels/motels, restaurants, and retail see overflow from drivers needing overnight stays or extended breaks.
• Tourism & local traffic: Clean, modern stops (Maverik’s BonFire fresh-food model + adventure branding) attract families and RVs too, boosting weekend and leisure spending.
• Freight economy support: Reliable truck parking/fueling keeps Kansas’s logistics sector competitive (Topeka sits at the crossroads of I-70 and other routes).

Studies from NATSO and state economic development offices consistently show travel centers as net-positive for rural or suburban exits — they revitalize underused land, increase surrounding property values modestly, and rarely displace existing retail when properly zoned.

4. Maverik-Specific Numbers and Performance

Maverik (Adventure’s First Stop) is privately held under FJ Management, so exact per-store sales aren’t broken out publicly. Here’s what reliable sources show:

• Company scale: 800+ locations across 20 states (post-2023 Kum & Go acquisition that doubled its footprint for ~$2.25 billion).
• Parent revenue: FJ Management (Maverik’s owner) reported $7 billion in recent annual revenue.
• Industry benchmarks for similar stores: High-performing modern travel centers average $2.4 million+ in non-fuel (“inside”) sales per year, plus millions more in fuel volume. Maverik’s focus on fresh BonFire food, clean facilities, and rewards programs drives higher dwell time and spend than traditional gas stations.

A well-placed Maverik on an I-70 ramp (like the one proposed for Topeka) would sit in the upper tier of that range because of steady interstate traffic + Kansas’s freight volume. Comparable sites often hit $10–20 million+ total annual revenue (fuel + inside sales).

5. What Topeka Specifically Missed (The Recent Maverik Proposal)

In 2025, a Maverik project near I-70 and Fairlawn (6th Street area) went before Topeka’s planning commission. Neighborhood concerns about traffic led to recommendations that eliminated diesel pumps and a weigh station — effectively turning a full truck stop into a limited car/RV fuel site. The rezoning was sent back to city council with those restrictions.

That decision removed the high-margin diesel/truck component that drives the biggest economic returns.

• Lost opportunity: 50–60+ direct jobs, hundreds of thousands in annual tax revenue, and the multiplier spending from truckers who would have supported nearby hotels, restaurants, and services.
• The parcel you’ve been visualizing (right off I-70 with easy on/off access) is exactly the type of “shovel-ready” highway site economic developers chase. Kansas already benefits from Love’s and other stops along I-70; adding a Maverik-style facility would have layered on modern food/service amenities that attract even more traffic.

Communities that embrace these projects (with proper traffic mitigation) see measurable gains: more local employment, stronger sales-tax collections without raising rates, and a boost to the logistics sector that keeps Kansas competitive for distribution/warehousing jobs.

Bottom line: Canceling or heavily restricting a Maverik truck stop on a perfect I-70 site isn’t just missing a gas station — it’s forgoing a multi-million-dollar annual economic contributor that pays for itself many times over in jobs and taxes. Other Kansas towns have welcomed similar developments and seen the upside. If the city revisits the idea with data-driven zoning (e.g., separate truck routing), the parcel you highlighted could still deliver exactly that value.