Loves’s Travel Stops & Country Stores Inc. plans to open its $13 million Baldwin location this summer and is hiring about 50 employees.
Chad Previch, external communications manager, said Feb. 24 by email the location will have 94 parking spaces for trucks and 76 for cars.
The site at northwest Interstate 10 and U.S. 301 in Baldwin fronts “a heavily traveled area where we think customers need our services and our Highway Hospitality,” Previch said
The travel stop will include Bojangles’ Famous Chicken ‘n Biscuits and Godfather’s Pizza restaurants as well as a Love’s Truck Care center, which offers an expanded truck tire selection and light mechanical services, Previch said.
Oklahoma City-based Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores plans a convenience store, restaurants and fuel services for cars and tractor-trailers.
The company posted job openings for the location at jobs.loves.com. Search careers for “Baldwin.”
The city issued four permits Feb. 21 for the main building, two fueling canopies and a Love’s Speedco Tire Shop – which Previch identifies as a Truck Care center – on just over 17 acres at 17110 Brandy Branch Road.
W.H. Bass Inc. of Duluth, Georgia, is the contractor. GSB Inc. Architects Planners is the architect. Adkinson Engineering of Jacksonville is the civil engineer.
The city of Jacksonville issued permits Feb. 21 for the main 16,749-square-foot building, a diesel fuel canopy, a gas fuel canopy and the tire shop.
The main building includes an 11,057-square-foot convenience store along with a truckers’ lounge, game room and the two restaurants. The tire shop is 10,543 square feet.
Previously filed plans show it will include 10 diesel-fueling positions and 20 car-fueling positions.
The $13 million total comprises the property purchase and site-clearing and construction permits.
Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores Inc. paid $3 million in March 2018 for the land.
The city issued a permit Dec. 12 for the $3 million site-clearing project.
The four permits issued Feb. 21 total $6.9 million. The city is reviewing an application for installation of a truck scale at a cost of $72,000.
It will be one of three Love’s Travel Stops in Duval County.
Love’s Travel Stops opened in May 2015 at 400 Pecan Park Road, off I-95 north of Jacksonville International Airport.
It also filed plans with the city for a project on about 16 acres at Duval Road and Interstate 295, near the Amazon fulfillment center.
Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores operates 16 locations in Florida among more than 510 locations in 41 states. It employs more than 25,000 people.
It operates 24 hours a day.
Love's also operates more than 380 truck service centers, which include on-site and stand-alone Speedco and Love's Truck Care centers.