It looks like yet another construction season will go by in Thunder Bay without any work being done on the proposed Flying J Travel Plaza.
The truck stop, restaurant and convenience store was first announced six years ago for the corner of Oliver Road and the Thunder Bay Expressway. Flying J Construction Manager Steve Froebe, speaking from the company's head office in Utah, confirms the project will not go ahead in 2010. Froebe said future plans for the 20 acre property remain uncertain. The controversial project has seen numerous delays since it was first approved by city council in 2004.
Nearby residents fought the development for years. The dispute was finally resolved at an Ontario Municipal Board hearing in 2007. Then in December 2008, Flying J filed for bankruptcy protection in the US. The chain is now in the midst of a merger takeover by Pilot Travel Centers and Denny's restaurants has bought the rights to take over the restaurants in 140 existing Flying J truck stops.
Froebe said they have the zoning they need to proceed with construction but until the US merger is finalized, it's tough to predict when the project will move ahead and whether it will remain a Flying J Travel Plaza.
