Halifax Truck Stop May Be Transformed Into State Farmers' Market, Outlet Mall

Thirty-five years ago, the truck stop near Roanoke Rapids on I-95 opened as the largest of its kind on the East Coast. Now, its owner is planning another first in the east -- a regional state farmers market that will resemble, on a smaller scale, the state Farmers' Market in Raleigh.

"We've looked very closely at that center," said Lori Medlin, of Halifax County Tourism Development. "We like the two buildings that are the center of the market and that is what we are going to start out with, something very similar to that."

The state Farmers' Market will be part of a 4.5 acre travel center that will also include restaurants, truck stop services, plus a movie theater and an outlet mall.

Lakewood Travel City, set to open next summer, will mean more than just another place to stop in Halifax County. It will mean employment for 150 people in a county that's starving for jobs. It will also help local farmers sell their crops to interstate travelers.

"We are trying to capitalize on the value of those travelers coming through the area," Medlin said.

Funding for the $2 million project is being sought by the Golden Leaf Foundation, which oversees tobacco settlement in North Carolina.