Jobs and development are coming to northern Malheur County.

But just across the Baker County line, Huntington stands to share in the economic boost next year as the truck stop at Farewell Bend, closed since May 2011, is slated to re-open under new ownership.

Joseph Alee, who owns 42 gas stations and four truck stops in Georgia and other southeastern states, plans to rebuild the travel plaza at Farewell Bend, adjacent to Interstate 84 about four miles southeast of Huntington.

“It’s going to be a one-of-a-kind truck stop with all of the amenities that you can’t find at other truck stops,” Alee said. “It’ll be one stop for everything.”

The business, on a 52-acre property between the freeway and Highway 30, will be called Huntington Travel Plaza.

“It will be a destination truck stop,” said Greg Smith, Baker County’s economic development director. “It’s exciting for Baker County.”

Huntington Mayor Candy Howland agrees.

Howland said the former truck stop at Farewell Bend, which opened in the 1970s, was a driver of the local economy.

“Years ago … fourteen families were supported out of Huntington by employment through (the truck stop),” she said.

Alee hopes to find most of the 60 to 80 employees for the Travel Plaza in the Huntington area.

“I think it’s great if they can hire that many people,” Howland said. “I hope they are all coming from the Huntington area.”

Although the property is in Malheur County, so the taxes go to that county, Smith said new jobs for Baker County residents constitute a “huge, huge win” for the county.

Alee said he will offer competitive wages and benefit packages to retain those employees.

“It could be hard to keep employees so we have to offer above-average wages in order to keep employees,” Alee said. “We are running a full-time restaurant and truck stop so we have to have some incentive and pay them better than local wages and benefits.”

Full-time employees will get medical insurance and vacation packages and bonuses after a year of employment, Alee said.

Smith praised Alee for his efforts to attract and retain good employees locally.

“Those are going to be good jobs,” Smith said. “The way to attract and keep good folks is by paying them above market wages.”

Baker County Commission Chairman Bill Harvey said he fully supports the development of the property where the only growth over the past six years has been the gradually encroaching weeds.

“This is a fantastic win for Huntington, believe me,” Harvey said. “This is going to be a good thing for us. Give me 80 jobs anywhere, anytime and I’ll be ecstatic.”

Development plans

Alee plans to strip the motel on the property to its foundation and timbers and rebuild it as a 42-room motel under the Quality Inn name.

He expects the motel to be open in about three months, and the full-service truck stop to be operational in six to eight months.

Alee’s company is close to finalizing the real estate deal and he expects crews to be working at the site soon.

“By the end of next week we will start demolishing the old buildings,” Alee said. “We are looking forward to opening.”

The facility — which will include a convenience store, 24-hour restaurant, laundry, showers, fitness club, drivers lounge, movie theatre, ATM machines, massage chairs, video poker, pool table and more — will be open 24 hours.

Future plans also include building a 100- to 120-space RV park, a drive-through truck wash and a truck repair shop that will provide more jobs.

See more in the Sept. 15, 2017 issue of the Baker City Herald.