It has been 17 years since the Spencer Co. has built a Minitman convenience store from the ground up, but that is just what the company hopes to do in Athens in the next couple of months.

J. Spencer, chief executive officer of Spencer, told The News Courier Wednesday the company plans to build a new store at the northwest corner of U.S. 72 West and Lucas Ferry Road. Cost for the land and the building project will be about $2 million, he said.

Although the Spencer Co. already has a convenience store just a hop, skip and a jump away from 72 and Lucas Ferry, the building is too small, Spencer said.

“We are leasing the building and it’s not big enough for more (gasoline) pumps,” Spencer said. “Hopefully this will serve the customers better.”

The new store will retain the deli and the scoop ice cream available at the current store, he said.

The new site is so large that the Spencer Co. plans to rent part of it to a tenant, though they currently have no tenant in mind.

The decision by the Spencer Co. to build a new Minitman convenience store is good news for the company and for the local economy. Although the company has had a presence in Limestone County for a long time, Spencer said the company’s purchase of the Shell distributorship in 2001 and the economy tanking shortly after made building new locations an impossibility.

“Now we are getting back on track,” he said.

The company has 31 Minitman convenience stores in Alabama, three of which are in Athens. This includes those on U.S. 31 and Interstate 65.

The Athens Planning Commission approved a request from Spencer’s to consolidate three lots for the project during its meeting Tuesday. The company still has to submit its site plan to the city’s Planning Department and get it approved before work can begin, said Public Works Director James Rich.

In other action Tuesday, the Planning Commission approved the following:

• Request by Bill and James Poteete for approval of Poteete Subdivision, a minor subdivision consisting of two lots at 25230 Airport Road in the R-1-1 low-density single-family residential district; Blake Gowart complained about possible draining onto his property, which he said was already underwater when it rains. Rich said the city would consult with the state to see what could be done;

• Request by Milton Looney to subdivide 1.45 acres into two lots — one 1.35 acres and the other .19 acres. Both are located at 15035 Alabama 251 in the R-1-1 low-density residential district;

• Request by Milton Looney to subdivide 1.15 acres into two lots — one .07 acres and the other 1.08 acres at 15053 Alabama 251 in the R-1-1 low-density residential district;

• Request by Milton Looney to consolidate two lots — one .07 acres and the other 1.35 acres into a single lot of 1.42 acres at 15053 Alabama 251;

• Request by Milton Looney to consolidate two lots — one .19 acres and the other 1.08 acres into a single lot of 1.27 acres at 15053 Alabama 251;

• Request by Kenny Winter for approval of Willow Pointe Townhomes Subdivision, a preliminary subdivision consisting of 12 lots on 1.09 acres at the intersection of Frazier Street and Weeping Drive in the TN-1 Traditional Neighborhood 1 District. This proposes 12 townhomes in groups of fours at the location. The Planning Commission had already approved for six residential lots but not 12 for townhomes. Townhomes will front Frazier and have garages in back;

• Request by David Aycock for final approval of a resubdivision of lots 18-21 of Country Village, a minor subdivision intending to add access easements at the south of U.S. 72 between Pike Road and Waterview Lane in a B-2 General Business District. Rich said easements would likely result in a right turn in and right turn out of the property.