Fortis Capital Solutions GPM Disposition PortfolioLocation Intelligence & Lease Summary
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Rank #127 of 143 Weak 33/100

MarathonStore #2479 · Marathon

303 West Houghton, Prudenville, MI

Annual Base Rent$48,238
Rent $/SF$22.59
Building SF2,135
Land (ac)1.05
Remaining Term3.4 yrs
StatusLong-Term
Pre G&A CFC9.96x

Lease Abstract

Tenant / d/b/aMarathon
GuarantorFas Mart (GPM Investments)
Lease commencementOct 09, 2007
Lease expirationOct 31, 2029
Remaining term3.4 yrs
Lease term (months)
Annual base rent$48,238
Base rent $/SF$22.59
Rent at expiration
Expiration rent $/SF
Renewal options1/2
Notice dateApr 04, 2029
Year built1980
Building SF2,135
Land area (acres)1.05
Pre G&A CFC9.96x (2024)
Lease statusActive

Location Score Breakdown 33/100

AADT Traffic 8/15
Highway Proximity 5/10
Gas Competition 1mi 8/15
3mi Population 2/12
3mi HH Income 7/12
Pop Density 3mi 1/8
County Growth 6/7
County Unemp. 0/7
Dollar Stores 6/6
Daytime Jobs 3mi 1/10
EV Density Pen. 0/0
Thin Market Pen. -10/0

Demand Anchor & Uniqueness

Houghton Lake — Michigan's largest inland lake — anchors this market, driving year-round recreation (boating, fishing, ORV and snowmobile trails) plus Tip-Up-Town USA, the state's largest winter carnival. Demand is heavily seasonal/destination-driven and is not reflected in resident-population metrics.

The location score above reflects resident-market real-estate fundamentals and does not incorporate seasonal or destination demand; consider this note alongside the store-level coverage (CFC) when assessing the asset.

Trade-Area Demographics

Metric1 mi3 mi5 mi
Population04,3347,277
Households02,0963,416
Pop. density (/sq mi)015393
Avg HH income$59,638$63,759
Poverty rate23.8%19.2%
Bachelor's+ 18.4%18.4%
Median home value$106,684$120,607
Median rent$791$805
Median age5654
Owner-occupied76.7%81.3%

Site & Market Detail

Traffic (AADT at site)12,744
Daytime jobs (3 mi)1,202
Daytime jobs (1 mi)241
Gas competitors (0.5 mi)0
Gas competitors (1 mi)2
Dollar stores (0.5 mi)0
Highway distance (mi)0.54
EV stations (5 mi)1
CountyRoscommon County
County pop. growth2.0%
County unemployment9.8%
Walk score17
Bike score31
FEMA flood zoneX

Investment Highlights

  • Zero competing gas stations within half a mile creates a captive fueling opportunity for the 12,744 vehicles passing daily.
  • The lease guarantor, GPM Investments under ARKO Corp., operates approximately 3,500 sites across 34 states, providing institutional-grade credit backing for the remaining term.
  • FEMA Zone X designation confirms minimal flood hazard, removing a material environmental liability from the risk profile.

Key Risks

  • The three-mile trade area poverty rate of 23.8% and average household income of $59,638 suggest limited consumer spending depth, undermining long-term rent sustainability.
  • Lease expiration in October 2029 with only one renewal option creates rollover exposure in a market where alternative tenants or buyers would face the same weak location fundamentals.
  • Roscommon County unemployment of 9.8% is materially above national norms, signaling a fragile local economy that could pressure store-level performance and renewal probability.

Executive Summary

303 West Houghton is a Marathon-branded convenience store operated by GPM Investments (ARKO Corp.) in Prudenville, Michigan, a small nonmetro community in Roscommon County. The site scores 33 out of 100 on location grade, reflecting thin population density, a weak daytime employment base, and limited trade area depth. The investment proposition rests almost entirely on near-term income certainty and guarantor credit quality rather than location fundamentals.

Demographics

The immediate one-mile ring reports zero resident population, and the three-mile trade area supports only 4,334 residents at 153 persons per square mile, well below thresholds typically associated with durable convenience retail demand. Average household income of $59,638 and a 23.8% poverty rate at three miles signal constrained consumer spending capacity. The five-mile population of 7,277 at 93 persons per square mile does not materially improve the demand picture.

Market Context

Roscommon County is a nonmetro, non-adjacent county with a 2024 population of 23,932 and a 9.8% unemployment rate, both indicators of a structurally challenged local economy. The county supports only 4,081 total employees across 547 establishments, limiting organic traffic and spending growth. Modest population growth of 2.0% since 2020 provides minimal tailwind.

Location Quality

AADT of 12,744 vehicles per day is serviceable for a rural convenience location, and zero competing gas stations within half a mile offers some near-term captive demand. However, a Walk Score of 17 and only 241 daytime jobs within one mile confirm that this site is wholly car-dependent with a shallow employment-driven customer base.

Risk Factors

The property sits in FEMA Flood Zone X, indicating minimal flood exposure, which is a clean structural positive. No state-level crime data were available for independent benchmarking. The 1980 vintage building at 2,135 square feet raises deferred capital expenditure concerns at lease rollover.

Investment Positioning

With 3.4 years of remaining term expiring October 2029 and a single renewal option requiring notice by April 2029, a buyer faces near-term rollover risk in a demonstrably weak location. Annual base rent of $48,238 at $22.59 per square foot provides modest current income, but no rent escalations at expiration are disclosed, limiting upside. GPM Investments, backed by publicly traded ARKO Corp., the sixth-largest U.S. convenience operator, provides meaningful credit support during the in-place term, but that credit quality does not resolve re-tenanting or re-leasing risk in a low-density nonmetro market if renewal does not occur.

Full institutional offering memorandum with all 48 briefs, maps, and tax analysis.

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