Concours Auto Sales has had used car lots in Maplewood (7212 Manchester Road) and a block away in St. Louis city (7125 Manchester). The lot in Maplewood has closed, an employee has said.
According to Maplewood ordinance, the city will grant no more than one license for a used car lot for every 3,000 inhabitants of the city or any fractional part. Full service dealerships and leasing agencies that lease least 50 new vehicles a year are exceptions.
The closing will leave Rafferty Automotive, in the 7400 block of Manchester, as the only used car lot in Maplewood.
Did they close because of the ordinance? The lot at Manchester and Belleview has been a used car dealer at least since the mid-late 1980s.
No. I don’t know the reason they closed but as you note, the lot has been around long before ordinance was passed. The dealer would have been grandfathered in.
Maybe they are consolidating. I believe Concourse had two other lots to the east on the other side of Manchester. The lot next to immediately next to Michael’s looked like it was empty a few days ago.
I heard Popeye’s is planning on putting a Chicken shack there…
Funny. Haven’t heard that one before.
Popeye’s should stick to selling spinach. Unless the chicken is fried in Olive Oyl.
Doug, if I recall correctly, there is a for sale sign. Is Councours the owner of the lot or just the company leasing it? Also any word with the People’s Health Clinic next to it?
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With the size of this lot and no significant structure on it, this is primed for new construction. I am really looking forward to seeing if Maplewood has reached the level where someone wants to build new commercial structures that don’t have drive thrus. The best part is that the lot restricts a lot of undesirable building plans and forces a minimal setback similar to the central business district and surrounding buildings. However my guess is that it will also be the result of the lot sitting vacant in the near term. More likely, once a large corporation is able to buy the People’s Clinic, they will get a conditional use permit and put something along the lines of a Qdoba style building (similar to what happened in Richmond Heights on Clayton across from the movie theater). Nevertheless, still hoping something more creative like a small 3-4 story boutique hotel gets placed.
It will be interesting to see what ends up on these lots? Is someone just land banking? Will we get another sad fast food/chain place? Or like Joe said has Maplewood reached the point where someone would want to build a 2 or 3 story mixed use building?
Joe, people’s health clinic is staying as of now as just a WIC office. That could change anytime, but as of now, they’re staying as just WIC.
Jessyca, thanks for the heads up. I am always curious about that place and would like to see the data on its use. I wonder as MW changes and prices for rent continue to increase if that place eventually finds itself moving shop.
Joe, the for sale sign is for the building next to the lot – 7200 Manchester listed at $599,000.
Woah. Thanks Doug. The MW website has it listed through Manor Real Estate. When you go to their site, it states the building is under contract already- http://manorrealestate.com/commercial/maplewood-medical-office-building-for-sale/