Cornelius 7-Eleven needs conditional-use permit

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CORNELIUS — A convenience store by any other name would still sell beef jerky and beer.

That’s the case in this north Mecklenburg town, where Dallas-based 7-Eleven Inc. is buying a Sam’s Mart, expanding it and making it into a 7-Eleven store, according to documents on file with the town of Cornelius.

The sale of the 1-acre Sam’s Mart site at Magnolia Estates and West Catawba Avenue requires splitting a tax parcel and securing a conditional-use permit.

But because a convenience store is a convenience store is a convenience store, the zoning and the land-use needs don’t need to be changed.

The conversion is part of 7-Eleven’s purchase of 55 Sam’s Marts throughout the Charlotte metro area.

The new 7-Eleven will be a 3,030-square-foot store. It combines the existing 1,843 square feet from the Sam’s Mart with 1,187 square feet from the planned expansion.

The proposal will go before the town Planning Board at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 12 at Town Hall, 21445 Catawba Ave.

Officials for 7-Eleven did not immediately return calls.

Tony Brown can be reached at [email protected], (704) 247-2912 or on Twitter at @tonymecktimes.