County confirms Sheetz store closure; officials coordinate outreach to attract replacement businesses

Commissioner Herzing told the Cameron County Commissioners on Aug. 8 that Sheetz corporate has confirmed the Emporium store will close. County staff and local partners learned the closure results from an aging fuel system and a site footprint unable to accommodate the upgrades Sheetz deemed necessary, Herzing said. The property will be prepared for resale.

Herzing said the county has opened regular communication with the Emporium Borough Manager and the local Chamber of Commerce, and that a joint press release summarizing county and borough efforts was distributed to keep the public informed. She said the county has been contacted by parties interested in evaluating the market for a replacement business and that scheduled meetings are under way with potentially interested retailers.

The commissioners also discussed local traffic impacts tied to heavy water trucks hauling material to a treatment facility in Clermont; Herzing said the county’s Economic Development Coordinator contacted PennDOT and other stakeholders to clarify routing, and that roadwork and preservation projects in the area may be affecting local truck routing through Emporium.

The update came during the meeting’s "good of the order" section; no formal acquisition or incentive decisions were taken at the Aug. 8 meeting. The county said it will continue coordinated outreach with the borough and chamber as more information becomes available.