Car Wash Development in Florissant - Developer Details
On Friday, December 12, the City of Florissant participated in a ribbon cutting for the new Brite Worx Car Wash located at 14250 New Halls Ferry Road.
Several years ago, this property was offered for sale at auction. Wallis Oil, the owner of Brite Worx, was the successful bidder. Brite Worx is expanding its successful operation by adding a second location in Florissant, approximately 2.5 miles from its existing site, which is at capacity and consistently busy. When this property went to auction, Brite Worx purchased it, no other buyers did.
As part of the redevelopment process, the City required the demolition of the long-vacant and blighted former Kmart building on the site. This was a significant expense that was fully funded with private dollars, and its removal represents a major positive outcome for the community. Unlike Jamestown Mall demolition, this project did not require taxpayer funding. While the car wash itself occupies approximately 1.5 acres, nearly 8 acres of the site remain available for future redevelopment.
With the opening of this location, there are currently six car washes operating within the City limits of Florissant. A seventh car wash was constructed by Take 5 Car Wash but was never occupied. It is important to note that the City’s authority extends only within Florissant’s municipal boundaries and not Hazelwood or unincorporated St. Louis County.
For clarity, the car wash locations within the City limits are as follows:
Auto Spa (2040 N. Highway 67)
Club Car Wash (3170 N. Highway 67)
Brite Worx (475 N. Highway 67)
Circle K (1545 S. New Florissant Road)
Water Works (1030 Shackelford Road)
Brite Worx - New Halls Ferry Road location
Take 5 Car Wash (built but never opened – 2925 N. Highway 67)
Summer 2024 Aldi Construction (Former Car Wash Location)
While recent activity may make it appear that car washes are rapidly increasing, the total number within the City limits is actually the same as it was approximately 15 years ago. In recent years, four car washes have closed, and four have been built. A former car wash on Howdershell Road was demolished to make way for an Aldi grocery store. Two additional former car wash properties (8422 N. Lindbergh Boulevard and 3311 N. Highway 67) are currently for sale and available for redevelopment. Another former car wash behind Ruiz was demolished and purchased by the owners of the restaurant for a different business purpose.
It is also worth noting that Florissant’s population and traffic counts support approximately 12 grocery stores. These same market fundamentals and traffic studies are evaluated by car wash operators when considering new locations. Based on their market studies, the data suggests that the City of Florissant can support, and historically has supported, at least seven car washes.
This information is not intended to be pro- or anti-car wash, but rather to provide background and factual context to the ongoing public discussion. In closing, we welcome Brite Worx to its new location and we are excited to see a new building, parking lot, lighting, and landscaping take the place of what used to be a blighted portion of the old store parking lot. We thank them for their continued investment in the City of Florissant and we look forward to the continued redevelopment of the entire former Kmart site with more new businesses to come.