A self-serve gas station that occupied the southwest corner of the Greater Butler Mart is being demolished. The plaza could be home to a full-service grocery store by summer and a new fast-food restaurant by spring.

BUTLER TWP — A full-service grocery store could be coming to the Greater Butler Mart by summer, and a new fast-food restaurant by spring.

Ben Roth, a senior associate at CBRE in Pittsburgh, which leases the spaces in the shopping center, said exciting things are in the works for the property on Route 8 across from AK Steel.

Roth said the former self-serve gas station that occupied the southwest corner of the property is being demolished and monitoring permits are nearly in place from the state's Department of Environmental Resources. Those are required because large underground gas tanks were beneath the station.

Once those permits are received by CBRE, work can begin on the fast-food venue planned for the plot. He could not announce at this time which restaurant would open at the site.

CBRE is also close to finalizing a contract with a grocery corporation that would place a full-service market in the former Friedman's Freshmarket space.

Roth said a variety of grocery items — including produce, meat, dairy and other departments — would be offered at the market.

The new store would include a total facade remodel as well, he said.

“It'll look very nice,” Roth said.

He also would not name the grocery store that will replace Friedman's, but he called it a “close-to-home tenant.”

Regarding the cavernous former Trader Horn store, Roth said his company has been close to deals with many different companies.

A potential tenant that is not a retail store is nearing an agreement with CBRE on a lease at the former Trader Horn site, he said.

“Not many (retail) tenants want a 56,000-square-foot space,” he said.

If the potential deal falls through, the store could be divided into smaller shops in the front and five or six larger businesses in the center of the building, Roth said.

Ace Hardware, a relatively new anchor store in the shopping center, is doing well, although the space is larger than the average Ace store.

“We would love to see the grocery store go in,” Roth said. “I feel that would balance out that plaza.”