By Carleen Wild
Moody County Enterprise
Get it done and do it right.
That’s the goal of River’s Edge General Manager Casey Kringen and his Board of Directors as they begin a major renovation project at the Flandreau fuel station and convenience store.
Kringen said he’s eager to see the work finally get underway after several delays.
The station’s four underground steel fuel tanks were installed in 1991 and are nearing the end of their expected service life.
“The life of a steel tank is basically 30 years,” Kringen said.
“There are four tanks. It’s just time.”
Rather than replace the old tanks with four new ones, River’s Edge will install two larger-capacity tanks, increasing fuel storage while modernizing the underground fuel system.
Given the scope of the project and the likely disruptions, Kringen said the decision was made to tackle other major improvements. Plans now also include a new fuel island and an expansion of the convenience store — a space Kringen said will essentially double in size.
Construction will happen in phases over the next several months. The diesel island is expected to remain open throughout much of the project. Premium gasoline and the red-dyed fuel pump will be temporarily unavailable during portions of construction, although bulk red fuel will remain available for commercial customers.
Installation of the new underground tanks, and the addition of a new canopy and fuel system are expected to take about two and a half months. Renovations to the convenience store are expected to last at least four months.
“We might be shut down intermittently a week here, a week there,” Kringen said. “Bear with us.”
River’s Edge will be posting construction updates and temporary closures on its Facebook page throughout the project.