The Copperas Cove Economic Development Corporation (CCEDC) is proud to announce that Starbucks will soon have a presence in Copperas Cove, and with any luck, open for business for the holiday season. Starbucks will be the primary tenant in “The Shops at Heritage Plaza,” a new commercial development at 2524 East Highway 190, the location of a former Shamrock gas station.
The 3,200 square foot development will house Starbucks and have a drive up ATM, with room for another tenant. Demolition of the existing property should begin in the very near future.
“I am delighted about Starbucks coming to our community,” said Dan Yancey, Chairman of the CCEDC Board of Directors. “A location on Highway 190 is a coveted spot for commercial developers and as we all know, there is very little undeveloped land. The location of Starbucks in Copperas Cove enhances our redevelopment goals for Highway 190.”
CCEDC began working with 10K Investments, LLC in August of 2010 on a project that would lead to the redevelopment of the former gas station. The location is ideal for a commercial development as the traffic counts are almost 55,000 vehicles per day. CCEDC welcomed the opportunity to partner with 10K Investments, LLC, to redevelop the property.
Based on information provided by 10K Investments, LLC the development of the property will result in a capital investment of $400,000 plus the value of the land with Starbucks projecting to have taxable sales in excess of $1 million per year and 15-20 jobs. Starbuck’s full-time employees can elect a full benefits package, including health/life insurance, 401K, stock purchase plan, stock options/grants, five paid holidays and time-and-a-half for holidays worked. Starbucks has a well-earned reputation for being a good corporate citizen. Their mission is “to inspire and nurture the human spirit — one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time.”
Several challenges existed with the site, such as drainage and parking. Because of CCEDC’s long-standing partnership with the City of Copperas Cove and the cooperation of 10K Investments, LLC, these issues were resolved. The drainage and parking issues are intertwined. In order to create more area for parking, an existing drainage ditch needed to be piped and covered. The developer and City staff worked together to arrive at a solution to allow 10K Investments to install a concrete pipe and then cover the area to create the needed parking. 10K Investments then requested infrastructure assistance from CCEDC in the amount of $28,750 to offset the cost of this public infrastructure improvement. This request was approved by CCEDC Board of Directors, pending approval of the expenditure by the Copperas Cove City Council. City Council approved the expenditure at their meeting on June 7, 2011.
“I have completed several projects in Copperas Cove over the past five years and while development can be a messy and stressful process, I can honestly say that the new spirit of cooperation and willingness to help bring investment dollars to Copperas Cove is driving the decisions and communication of both city staff and CCEDC,” said Mike Beevers, President of 10K Investments. “It is important that communities understand not only how to attract new business but also how to build relationships with the development community, whether it is from out of town or the local community. Recent efforts by the City and CCEDC to strengthen communication and build relationships are paying big dividends in Copperas Cove. Keep up the excellent work.”