New 7-Eleven Store Proposed For Downtown Lake Elsinore

Tuesday the Lake Elsinore Planning Commission will decide whether 7-Eleven can move forward on building a store and gas station in historic downtown.

The proposed site for the convenience retailer is 515 N. Main Street near the 15 Freeway, the same location of the now-closed Union 76 gas station.

According to city documents, the proposed project site is 1.13 acres. If approved, the existing structure at the site would be demolished and a new 3,010-square-foot building would take its place. The existing fuel pumps and canopy would be retrofitted, according to the documents.

The architectural theme of the 7-Eleven is proposed to be compatible with the historic downtown district as defined in Lake Elsinore’s General Plan and is similar to City Hall, according to the documents.

Parking, landscaping and fencing would also be upgraded at the site, and a new infiltration system would be installed, the documents show. 

The proposed 7-Eleven would sell beer and wine, and would be open around the clock. The store, once open, would employ approximately 10 full- and part-time positions, according to the documents. 

The development of the new 7-Eleven "will vastly improve" the gateway into downtown Lake Elsinore, the city documents state.

The upcoming Lake Elsinore Planning Commission meeting is open to the public. It takes place June 18, 6 p.m., at the Senior Activities Center, 420 E. Lakeshore Drive.