ALABASTER- Alabaster city officials and Murphy USA staff and executives gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking of a new Murphy USA gas station on Colonial Promenade Parkway on Wednesday, Feb. 22. According to District Manager Ishtiaq Farooqui, the original Murphy USA was demolished at the end of January, and the new store will be built on the same site.

“We are rebuilding the Murphy USA gas station here. The purpose is to bring more convenience to the community,” Farooqui said. “People in this community will enjoy it. This is the right time for us to bring a better place for people to buy gas and other things.”

Farooqui also said the new Murphy USA will be built as a walk-in store, with more pumps and more space. The old gas station was on a 200-square-foot lot, while the new Murphy USA is being built on 1200 square feet.

“The old Murphy USA was more of a kiosk-style station, and there were a lot of limitations with how many pumps were available for people,” Farooqui said.

John Wendel, the Murphy USA Director of Operations of Alabama and Mississippi, said the original structure was getting old, and it is common for Murphy USA to demolish and rebuild several locations around the country each year. This is the first time they have rebuilt the Alabaster location, which stood for over a decade.

Farooqui promised that the new store will sell ethanol-free gas and provide the cheapest gas of any station in Alabaster.

“I’d like to invite everyone in the community to come and give us an opportunity to serve them,” Farooqui said.

Mayor Marty Handlon said the new building will be more aesthetically pleasing and leave a better impression of the Promenade on those who are traveling through Alabaster on I-65.

“This is the first thing people see when they’re driving down the interstate. I want to thank them for reinvesting in their business, which allows the city to provide more services to residents. This is a win-win situation,” Handlon said.

Wendel thanked the city of Alabaster for its support, and said he looked forward to seeing the new Murphy USA in May.

“The folks here in Alabaster have been extremely cooperative, and this has been a wonderful experience. We’re very happy with the way that everything has gone,” Wendel said.

Those who attended the groundbreaking ceremony were able to enter and look at the site before construction began. The Shelby County Chamber of Commerce hosted the event.