Parts of the former Sheetz in Plum demolished; property for rent

While work is underway on the site of a former Sheetz on Plum’s Golden Mile Highway, the future of the property is unclear.

This week, workers were seen dismantling and removing the last pieces of the canopy of the closed supermarket and gas station.

Sheetz closed the Pine Valley Drive location when it opened its new store nearby on Presque Isle Drive, where a Kings Family restaurant and part of the Presque Isle Plaza were demolished to make room for it.

Sheetz did not own the original property on Golden Mile Highway in 2003. Toro Development owns three parcels on that corner, two of which are undeveloped, according to Allegheny County land records.

A representative of the Sampson-Morris Group, which is listed as the tax mailing address for the property, was unable to provide information about the property.

The canopy wasn’t the only thing removed at the old site. Three underground storage tanks, gas pumps and product lines were also removed, said Lauren Camarda, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Environmental Protection.

Owners of underground storage tanks must notify the DEP at least 30 days before their permanent closure, she said. Permanent closure requires the tanks to be emptied and either removed from the ground or filled with an inert solid.

The DEP has not yet received a required final report on the tanks, which would include the results of the sampling, Camarda said.

“If contamination is discovered during the closure process, the owner is responsible under regulations to remediate the site in accordance with the corrective action process for storage tank owners,” she said.

According to a sign on the property, it is available for rent through Oxford Realty Services. The listing agent, Arthur DiDonato, did not respond to requests for comment.

Plum manager David Soboslay said the district had no new information about the property.

The district has not received a request to demolish the building, Soboslay said.