ASHLAND — The Moose is making its way to Ashland.
Mayor Matt Miller on Tuesday evening announced Mickey’s — a Midwestern fuel and convenience store brand — plans to construct a new location on a 14.13-acre site along U.S. 250 and Faultless Drive near the city-owned industrial park.
The acreage is currently owned by the city.
Ashland lawmakers unanimously approved a purchase agreement between the Ashland Community Improvement Corporation and DC Acquisition (Mickey’s) for the 14.13-acre site at a purchase price of $300,000.
Miller said Mickey’s would like the future Ashland location to be one of its “flagship stores.”
“They are excited about this project,” he said. “They want to be there and so they have assured us that they will in fact make this one of their premiere stops in their whole portfolio.”
The $300,000 purchase price is the most the city has sold any of its industrial park acreage for to date, the mayor said. The deal breaks down to a little more than $20,000 per acre (approximately $21,231).
He said Mickey’s has to build within three years. No estimated construction schedule or projected opening date has been provided yet.
“The truth is, they’re ready to start yesterday,” Miller said. “They’re very excited.”
More than 1,000 men and women work in the industrial park. For those workers, it’s nearly impossible to travel somewhere to grab food and beverage over their lunch hour, the mayor said.
“With that in mind, we have consistently been on the lookout trying to find someone who would be willing to establish some sort of eatery or some sort of convenience store near our industrial park so that they could service the customers and our employees that have needs,” Miller said.
Access to the future Mickey’s location will be available from U.S. 250 and the cul-de-sac to the northwest of the property, allowing industrial park employees to not have to travel onto U.S. 250 to enter.
The mayor said the one-stop-shop for fuel, food and beverage will benefit residents and industrial park employees alike, citing a lack of quick and convenient options for fuel and food items on this side of the city.
Miller cited the Mickey’s location in Shelby as one of the best examples of the company’s newer building style. The Shelby location opened in May 2025.
“It’s fantastic. It’s two-story buildings, floor-to-ceiling glass and I mean, they are quite a structure,” he said.
The 14.13-acre site presented a space not quite “suitable” for a manufacturing or warehouse site, particularly due to its corner location and size, Miller said.
“We have shared it (the news) with some of the others out there, the neighbors (companies), and they are thrilled,” he said.
