The former 24/7 owed thousands of dollars to the city in taxes, suffered from changing hours of operation and was closed for undetermined periods of time.

Owners of 24/7 could not be reached for comment, and previously did not return multiple calls requesting interviews from The State News.

Anthropology senior Kailey Shelton said although the store was in a convenient location on the corner of Michigan and Grand River avenues, the business gave her an uneasy feeling.

“Every time I pass by it, it just has this ominous look to it,” she said. “It’s not exactly a place where I would want to go … it’s kind of shady looking.”

Bloomfield Township resident E.J. Jonna is looking to change the look and perception of the convenience store after purchasing the building and turning it into Jonna’s 2 Go, another convenience store featuring fresh-cooked foods such as pizza, subs and chicken wings.

Jonna said he is aiming to reopen the store with a soft open either next Monday or Tuesday.

Jonna, a Brother Rice High School teacher, said former students of his that now attend MSU asked him to open up one of his locations in East Lansing.

When he came across the 24/7 location, he said he couldn’t get any information on the location as it often was closed, but was able to find someone who knew the owner to get a deal done.

“We thought it was a great location,” he said. “We knew it was a little beat up.”

“Most people would look at that store and say, ‘Why would you put money into this store? It’s a dump,’” he said. “It will be a gem when we’re done with it.”

Jonna’s 2 Go now will have its liquor application reviewed by council to add liquor to its beer and wine selection. The business also will be adding a new kitchen to make foods such as pizzas and subs, along with cosmetic changes inside and out.

East Lansing Planning, Building and Development Director Tim Dempsey said the city learned about the change of ownership a little more than a month ago. For the business that’s been worn down and suffered from graffiti problems, he’s happy to see the place get cleaned up.

“Certainly (the city is) happy to see someone there to invest some money in the facility,” he said.

Shelton said with the new renovations and cleanup going on, the business can be successful, although it will have competition to face with CVS and multiple Quality Dairy locations.

“Especially for all the West Circle residents, it would be a really great place to grab a snack,” she said.

Staff writer RuAnne Walworth contributed to this report.