Two new Circle K gas station and convenience stores are being explored in Northwest Jacksonville on vacant sites along Lem Turner Road, about 3.5 miles apart.
City utility JEA issued service availability determination letters for the proposed locations, each with 10 fueling positions. Kimley-Horn Jacksonville is the civil engineer for both.
Circle K is considering a 3,956-square-foot structure on 4 acres at southeast Lem Turner and Lannie roads. It is owned by 7.71 Lem Turner LLC of Callahan, an ownership group led by Albert and Shari Higginbotham. JEA issued the letter March 19.
About 3.5 miles south, Circle K is looking at a site at southwest Lem Turner Road and Hemlock Street, off of Interstate 295. The address is 12536 Lem Turner Road.
Circle K is considering at 5,200-square-foot convenience store on 3.62 acres. Williams Stephens is the property owner. JEA issued the letter March 20.
Circle K is part of Canada-based Alimentation Couche-Tard, which is based in Laval, Quebec.
Alimentation Couche-Tard says it operates about 17,000 stores in 29 countries and territories.
It says that with its Couche-Tard and Circle K banners, it is one of the largest independent convenience store operators in the United States and it is a leader in the convenience store industry and road transportation fuel retail in Canada, Scandinavia, the Baltics, Belgium, as well as in Ireland.
It says that Circle K, based in Tempe, Arizona, has been its global brand since 2015.
The ScrapeHero.com data site shows that as of Feb. 3, 3025, Circle K has 6,876 locations in the U.S., and territories, with the highest concentration of stores in Florida, with 938, or 14%; followed by Texas, with 760, and Arizona, 625.
A search for Circle K locations for Baker, Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties finds 100 sites.
Circle K, established in 1951 in Texas, was acquired by Alimentation Couche-Tard in 2003.
A JEA letter does not mean a development will take place, just that one is being explored.