Fred Meyer plans gas station in Palmer

MAT-SU — Valley Fred Meyer shoppers are about to get a little more reward for their club membership.

There are major changes coming to both stores in the Mat-Su. The Palmer store is adding a gas station and the Wasilla branch is going through a 10,000-square-foot expansion and remodel.

The gas station will be on the corner of Arctic Avenue and the Glenn Highway. It will serve 14 cars from seven, two-sided pumps and have diesel as well, said Fred Meyer spokeswoman Melinda Merrill.

The store has applied for a building permit, Palmer City manager Bill Allen said. The deadline is May 22, he said, so the permit should be issued next week.

Once the application is approved, the plan goes out to bid, Merrill said. It usually takes about a month and a half to compete a station once construction starts and costs just over $1 million, she said. The new station should be up and running by the end of summer.

“We price competitively along with the other fuel stations in the area,” Merrill said. Owners of other gas stations in the area were not available for comment.

Fred Meyer is expanding its fuel program to all their markets, Merrill said. Fred Meyer also remodels its stores every 10 years or so, and Wasilla was overdue, she said.

The store is being retrofitted with new cases and decor. The grocery and frozen food sections are being expanded. Energy efficient lighting will cut the utility bills, and polished concrete floors will eliminate the need for chemical tile cleaners. The expansion will house a much bigger home and garden section.

The remodel is a $7 million investment, Merrill, and it will significantly change the store. Construction should wrap up in early November.

Contact Todd L. Disher at todd.disher@frontiersman.com or (907) 352-2252.