Auto mall nearing completion

PALMER - Construction on Palmers new Auto Mall, along the Glenn Highway next to Taco Bell, is nearing completion, and the facility is slated to open on Sept. 1.

Convenience is everything and, when the mall done, motorists will be able to get a burrito, fuel, tune-up, oil change and car wash all in the same area without getting out of their vehicles.

One-third of the Auto Mall is a new car wash.

Alaskas Best Car Wash is the first touchless motor-home wash in the state, co-owner Jeff Barnhart said. We can accept nearly every kind of vehicle.

Utilizing the Futura System, recreationalists and workers driving motor homes, snow plows, trucks with trailers or boats, and other work vehicles will now be able to pull in, remain in their vehicles and have their car, truck or motor home washed and dried with no abrasive brushes or mops for prices ranging from $6 - $20.

The one very, very special part of our car wash is our motor-home wash, which will handle one up to 40 feet long in size, Barnhart said.

For the do-it-yourself car washer, the new four-stall car wash will also feature a double-wand wash facility. One stall will handle motor homes and the other two will be dedicated to the touchless truck and auto washer, he said.

The other two-thirds of Palmers new Auto Mall will house a new six-stall Valley Meineke muffler shop and a three-stall Palmer Lube Express. Both auto repair and maintenance shops will be able to handle the Valleys steady influx of motorhomes, too.

Between the two, its a full-service center except heavy repair, Wasilla Meineke owner Bill Moll said. The Valley is growing by leaps and bounds and looks like its not going to stop. If youre not growing, youre dying.

Moll opened Wasilla Lube Express in October 1994 and also owns Meineke in Wasilla. He expects to hire 10-15 Valley employees at the two new facilities. Some of the services Meineke offers are brake jobs, shocks, mufflers, engine diagnostics and tune-ups.

Its total car care, he said. The whole (auto repair) industry is gravitating to this system. Its a prototype. Meineke is looking at this (one-stop car care) very closely.

Also moving into the area next to the Auto Mall is Schucks Auto Parts store.

Two years ago, Schucks opened its first store in Anchorage.

Now the company has 12 Alaska branches, including two in Wasilla one of which is relocating to Palmer.

Schucks acquired the Wasilla Grand Auto Parts branch in April. Since then, Schucks Auto Supply managers realized many of their Palmer customers were driving all the way to the new Wasilla store to get parts.

Schucks decided to shorten their trip, and is breaking ground for an 8,000-square-foot store next to United Rentals on the Glenn Highway. The newest Schucks will be adjacent to the new Auto Mall.

Checker, Schucks and Kragen (CSK) announced its purchase of 250 auto parts stores throughout the country in April, and local managers are implementing Schucks plan to shut down the old Grand Auto Parks Highway location.

We felt the demographics were favorable (in Palmer) to the do-it-yourselfer, Schucks spokesman Joe Beynon said. We had one too many stores in Wasilla. We are still looking at other areas in Alaska.

Many of Schucks customers require farm equipment parts, so as part of Schucks policy to tailor its stores to regional needs, the company will carry farm equipment parts.

Drum and rotor rotation and disposal of used oil are among the services Schucks offers to its Valley customers.

Schucks has a long-term lease agreement with its old Grand Auto site, and will be marketing the building for renters as soon as the transition to Palmer is complete.

The grand-opening for the new auto parts store is tentatively scheduled for Sept. 15, according to a Schucks spokesperson.