Former Northfork Store Listed for Sale, Signals New Tourism Opportunity

On November 4, 2025 a commercial property at 118 Rocchetti Drive in Northfork appeared on Realmo's McDowell County listings as a former convenience store with acreage, priced at $225,000. The roughly 3,800 square foot structure is described as previously operating as a convenience store and bar with residential space above. The posted listing highlights existing retail infrastructure including a dining area, grocery space, freezers and displays, and a cooking oven, plus a bar equipped with a draft beer system. Upstairs the building contains five bedrooms and two bathrooms giving potential for on site lodging or owner housing.

The parcel includes acreage and an abundant spring water source, together with multiple outbuildings listed as a tower, wash house, smoker, an old house and a barn. The listing markets the site explicitly for recreation driven business potential tied to ATV trail traffic from the nearby Hatfield and McCoy and outlaw trail network. Realmo's McDowell County page also aggregates other commercial properties across the county including retail and warehouse opportunities in Welch, an Old Schoolhouse ATV Retreat in Gary, and a medical clinic listing in Welch, indicating a cluster of small commercial opportunities rather than a lone listing.

For residents the immediate implications are practical. The presence of existing food service and retail infrastructure lowers the barrier to entry for entrepreneurs seeking to tap trail tourism, potentially shortening renovation timelines and investment needed to restart operations. The upstairs bedrooms create options for short term lodging for trail users or extended stay accommodations that could capture overnight spending. A $225,000 asking price positions the property as an affordable commercial entry by regional standards, although actual redevelopment costs will depend on condition and compliance upgrades.

From a market perspective the listing is a signal that local commercial real estate is seeing targeted interest around outdoor recreation. If converted and marketed to ATV users, the property could generate seasonal revenue and local jobs in retail, food service and lodging. Those flows could boost sales tax receipts and support peripheral services such as fuel, vehicle maintenance and guided outings. The multiplier effects will depend on visitor volumes, average spend per visitor and the ability of local businesses to capture that spending.

Policy wise local officials and economic development partners can ease transitions by focusing on zoning clarity, small business grant programs, marketing support to connect properties with entrepreneurs, and investments in infrastructure such as road maintenance, signage, parking and waste water where needed. Tracking indicators such as new business permits, lodging occupancy rates and sales tax collections will provide measurable evidence of whether recreation led redevelopment is gaining traction.

The Northfork listing is not definitive proof of a turnaround, but it does reflect an ongoing strategy in McDowell County to leverage outdoor assets and small property transactions to create new private sector activity. For residents watching property reuse and tourism development, the coming months will show whether this listing converts to an operating business and how much local economic benefit it produces.