Rockford, Ill.-based Road Ranger, a chain of travel centers, truck stops and convenience centers, completed a real-estate deal Friday for around 12 acres of land in the northeast area of Interstate 30 and McCoy Boulevard for the construction of one of their travel centers.
According to Kelley Branson, board member of the New Boston Special Industrial Board, this deal has been in the works for around two years.
"Road Ranger came to us (the board) in 2017 to help them secure this deal," Branson said. "We have been working with them since to help bring this about. They approached us first about this and we knew they were interested."
One of the main challenges in preparing the property was making sure it was suited for Road Ranger's needs.
"There were water and sewer lines running through the property," he said. "So this complicated things. The lines required a rerouting, so we arranged to have that happen so the property could be used commercially."
After that, the board expedited ma king sure the property had all the supports and infrastructure in place to support a travel center.
"The board supported the project the whole while on account of the jobs and business we knew it would bring to the area," said Branson.
Travel centers are known for their restaurants and Road Ranger is no exception. Two coming with the New Boston location will be their Tejas Taco and Dan's Famous "Big Slice" Pizza.
The travel center will feature a convenience store with gasoline and diesel sales, large parking spaces and various services for professional drivers, including showers.