Blair County Planning Commission members Thursday gave a positive review for plans to construct a new Dollar General Store at the site of the former Pizza Hut Restaurant at 404 E. 25th Ave.

Plans call for building a 7,500-square-foot building. The project will include 27 parking spaces, utility work, new landscaping, stormwater infiltration trenches, a rain garden and the installation of sidewalks on both East 25th Avenue and Juniata Gap Road.

Access to East 25th Avenue will be reconstructed. There are currently two access points to this city road. The southern access point will be closed. The northern access will be re-graded so that the post-development slope will be 4% rather than the current 7.5% slope, said Jeff Raykes of Stuart Consulting Group, who reviewed the plans.

Access to Juniata Gap Road will continue to be in the same location but the plans show widening of the drive, addition of pedestrian improvements and other modifications to be reviewed by the state Department of Transportation, Caron said.

The Pizza Hut closed in 2024.

“What is neat about this project is the parking lot is smaller and they are doing some different things with landscaping,” Raykes said.