Convenience store/service station breaks ground

A groundbreaking ceremony was held today in San Jacinto for a combined Circle K and Mobil service station.

The project, at the northwest corner of Sanderson and Esplanade avenues, is expected to be ready for business late this year, according to officials with Southland Development Co. in San Juan Capistrano, owner of the Circle K chain.

The store and service station will be built on 1.2 acres, with the store covering 4,500 square feet. It’s the first phase of Esplanade Commons, a 90,000-square-foot mixed-use shopping center that Southland Development is building at that intersection.

Southland Development will use the project, which will include eight service-pumps and a self-serve car wash, as a prototype for its convenience store-service stations in Southern California, according to a statement.

John Guell, founder and president of Southland Development, attended the ceremony, along with several San Jacinto officials: Mayor Alonso Ledezma, council members Mark Bartel and Andrew Kotyuk, City Manger Tim Hults and Assistant City Manager Mike Embertoni.

“Circle K/Mobil will be the first service station on the west side of San Jacinto,” Hults said in a statement. “It’s a great project, and the residents are looking forward to having the store in their neighborhood.”

Southland Development is speaking with retailers about locating at Esplanade Commons, according to the statement.