Auto parts store proposed for former North Huntingdon motel site
The site of the former Penn-Irwin Motel that served motorists looking for a place to stay along Route 30 in North Huntingdon for 73 years could be a place for motorists to buy vehicle parts.
Colony Holding Co. LLC of North Huntingdon plans to develop the now-vacant site for an AutoZone auto parts store, said Donald Tarosky Jr., a partner in Colony Holding. The store would be located on the property in the area closer to the McDonald’s restaurant along Route 30.
North Huntingdon commissioners last week approved a site plan for the new AutoZone on part of the one-acre parcel. Tarosky said he still must obtain other permits, including a highway occupancy permit from PennDOT for a second entrance on Route 30, before construction can begin.
There is sufficient parking on the site for the store and a retaining wall would have to be built because of the excavation that must occur, said Ryan Fonzi, township planning director.
For Tarosky to develop the other section of the property, part of which lies within Irwin, approvals would be need from both municipalities.
The Penn-Irwin Motel property became available last year when Gary and Deb Salada retired after 34 years of owning the business. They purchased the property in 1995 for $200,000, after signing a 10-year lease on the motel in 1985. They sold the property to Colony of Irwin LLC for $800,000, according to filings with the county Recorder of Deeds.
Colony Holding demolished the motel and cleared the site last year, but will need extensive earthmoving for the development, Tarosky said.
AutoZone has a store along Route 30 in Hempfield, about five miles east of the proposed site. AutoZone operates nearly 6,000 stores in the country.
David McKinney, a spokesman for Memphis, Tenn.-based AutoZone, could not be released for comment.
The motel property was slated for an auto parts store four years ago by developer United Growth Capital Management of San Rafael, Calif. The firm pulled out of the deal in 2016 after the township determined there were deficiencies in the plan.
Joe Napsha is a TribLive reporter covering Irwin, North Huntingdon and the Norwin School District. He also writes about business issues. He grew up on Neville Island and has worked at the Trib since the early 1980s. He can be reached at jnapsha@triblive.com.
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