BETHLEHEM, PA — On Wednesday, June 19th, the Lower Saucon Township Planning Commission approved plans for a new Sheetz gas station with a drive-thru at the Saucon Valley Square shopping center off Rt 378 in Lower Saucon Township.
The old Fulton Bank building at the corner of the property will be demolished to make room for the new convenience store, which will occupy much of the currently unused parking lot.
The bank closed in January 2024 and moved to the Promenade shops in Saucon Valley. The notice notifying customers of the change is still posted on the teller window.
As the Sheetz vs. WaWa saga continues in the Lehigh Valley, Sheetz has been making headway.
Earlier this year, the convenience mecca opened another store on Bethlehem’s South Side and demolished another to complete a remodel on Schoenersville Road.
In a trend that Sheetz seems keen to continue, many, if not all, of its new stores in the area have a new drive-thru window to service customers even faster.
The side of the shopping center where the new Sheetz will stand is an expanse of unused macadam, with only a few small businesses occupying a corner of the lot.
This modernizing wave extends beyond Sheetz. The old Revolutionz Entertainment Center is also getting a facelift before new tenants open an updated entertainment complex, finally bringing new life to an area that has been underutilized for so long.
According to a report from Lehigh Valley Live, no new entrances/exits are proposed for the area, leaving questions about how the new store will affect traffic flow.
“Yes, there’s going to be a lot more traffic — but I’m not against it, I’m for it. … You see several up and down 412; they’re great additions,” a resident said to Lehigh Valley Live.
A popular Mexican restaurant, Plaza Azteca, is also located in the back corner of the lot. They offer outdoor seating and can draw a sizeable crowd on weekends.
How this change to the complex will affect their business is yet to be determined.
