ATLANTA, Georgia (Atlanta News First) – A struggling gas station near Georgia State University’s downtown Atlanta campus could soon reopen under new ownership.

The former RaceTrac on Piedmont Avenue NE was closed in February after a fatal shooting and numerous other outbreaks of violence and harassment in the surrounding community.

“They do doughnuts in the middle of the street and stuff,” said Kenley Waller, owner of nearby Kenley’s Restaurant.

For the past five months, the gas pumps have been locked and “Closed” signs have been posted on the front doors and windows of the shuttered store, but the doors may soon reopen.

A man named Barkat Lakhani has submitted an application to the City of Atlanta to open a new grocery store at 120 Piedmont Ave NE. If approved, the new store would also sell beer and other alcoholic beverages.

Waller says he is not looking forward to the return of chaos.

“It’s not the Georgia State students who come here and cause the problem. It’s the people who come from all over,” Waller said. “The problem is that Georgia State doesn’t own the building there, so they can’t control it.”

While some worry about the vacant store reopening as a convenience store, many students say they miss having a store so close to campus.

“I think it would be very helpful if something was opened, but I know opening the RaceTrac was a problem because we had people here who were not students,” said Julius Bowley, a GSU student.

Bowley, who is entering his sophomore year at GSU, says he remembers the violence near the gas station last semester but hopes Atlanta police and GSU’s campus security can help the new owner balance convenience and safety.

“The GSU police do a very good job of policing the campus and ensuring safety, but of course incidents will occur,” Bowley said.

An extensive network of cameras is currently installed in the parking lot, and by all reports it will be operational when the new gas station opens, which must first be approved by the Atlanta License Review Board.

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