Granger gains $4.2M travel plaza off I-82

Travelers off Interstate 82 have a new pit stop.

About 75 city and business officials gathered Thursday to celebrate the Granger Travel Plaza, which cost $4.2 million. The travel stop opened last month at 1221 Bailey Ave., off exit 58.

The center includes a Chevron gas station, a 5,900-square-foot building with showers, video games, a lounge area and a convenience store. A Subway sandwich shop is expected to open there in the next few months, said owner Jaspal Sohi.

The city of Granger earned a loan and a grant totaling $500,000 from the Yakima County Supporting Investments in Economic Development fund, which comes from state tax revenues refunded to the county.

The money was used to install necessary public infrastructure for the new travel plaza.

"It's probably the biggest investment project in Granger in 10 years," said Dave McFadden, president of New Vision, the county's economic development arm. "This doesn't happen in our rural communities very often. This is a blessing."

Prior to working on the Granger Travel Plaza, Sohi owned a gas station in Sunnyside and one in Walla Walla, where he lived before moving to the Yakima Valley in 2004.

He has more plans for the remaining 12 acres near the travel plaza. Some possible uses include an oil change facility or a fast food restaurant. "Nothing is finalized," he said. "We're talking to different people, but there's going be some kind of action in the next six months."

* Mai Hoang can be reached at 577-7685, or mhoang@yakimaherald.com.