SHARON — The new owners of a former convenience store hope to turn it into a multi-purposed community hub, with a potential to support start-up ventures, special events or social gatherings.

Joel Senger, 40, and his wife, Kristin May Senger, 41, purchased the former Tracy’s Midway Station last November with a plan to rehabilitate the 98-year-old landmark and convert it into commercial spaces for lease.

“We’d love to get something like a coffee shop in one (of the spaces),” May Senger said in an interview. “We really want the Midway to be a community gathering space for the town.”

The Sengers, who moved from Newport, R.I., to Sharon in 2022, see the project as an opportunity to contribute to the town’s tight-knit community, which they have come to love. The town needs more spaces for socializing, as well as commercial properties for aspiring entrepreneurs, they said.

Built in 1926, the single-story Midway Station is located on a 0.3-acre parcel on Route 14, across the street from the River Road bridge that crosses the White River.

Originally an auto repair garage, Midway Station was converted into a convenience store in 1986 and operated in that manner for 35 years until its closing in 2021. The previous owner, Erik Pringle, sold the property to the Sengers last year for $160,000.

The Sengers plan to split the first floor into two separate commercial spaces. While they hope to lease one space to a coffee shop or cafe, the Sengers said they are open to hearing other ideas from prospective tenants.

“There’s the traffic and the community in Sharon (to support a business) but there’s just no available commercial space downtown” at the moment, Senger said.

Route 14 has a high flow of traffic through Sharon, the Sengers said The traffic past the store also increases considerably during the fall foliage season.

Pringle, in a phone interview, agreed about the traffic volume. He said he closed Midway Station after having to shut down the gas station, which required costly upgrades to the fuel system.

“I hope (the Sengers) do something awesome with the property,” Pringle said. “They have the right energy for it.”

Outside the Midway, the Sengers plan to add picnic tables and an area with an electrical station to support a food truck.

The Sengers said they aim to rotate a variety of food trucks in the space.

“I think that’s going to be great for the community because we don’t have a lot of takeout options here,” May Senger said. “Everyone’s eyes always light up when we say there’s potential for food trucks.”

Sharon’s only restaurant, Sandy’s Drive-In, has been closed since a fire in July 2022. The property is currently listed for sale.

The Sengers currently are adding new flooring, upgrading heating and electrical systems, building a new deck and repainting of the interior and exterior.

There also will be a new wheelchair ramp.

Senger, an artisan woodworker, currently works as a carpenter and for a furniture builder.

He teaches wooden boat building in Maine during the summer.

May Senger works for a Barnard-based herbalist.

“It’s a beautiful building. … It’s built really stout,” Senger said. “It has had years and years of additions, so we’re just trying to bring back some of its original design … to the old feel of it.”

Senger said they hope to finish the restoration by the end of the summer.

May Senger, who spent several years in retail management before moving to Sharon, said they are considering opening a third, smaller space on the first floor that could be used as pop-up store for crafters to sell jewelry or other offerings.

The Sengers also envision converting the basement someday into a coworking space.

“(The basement) would be like phase five or six of this project,” said Senger, adding that they will wait to see how their plan for the first floor works before considering an expansion.

A new website for the Midway, www.themidwayvt.com, is still in development.

Patrick Adrian may be reached at padrian@vnews.com or 603-727-3216.