Earnhardt Kia to Come to Mesa

By Adrienne St. Clair for Arizona Builder’s Exchange

Earnhardt Arizona Properties has submitted a site plan review to the City of Mesa to build a Kia dealership in the Superstition Springs Auto Park.

The new Earnhardt Kia will be built on 4.6 acres in the auto park and will include two buildings – the sales and service facilities – totaling 76KSF, and a 2-level, 41KSF parking garage. The developer proposes to build a retention basin on the southwest portion of the site. The owner also plans to create three new driveways onto the property from Auto Park Drive. The project is valued at $6M.

The dealership’s main building is planned to be approximately 30 feet tall and will feature details characteristic of Kia’s signature façade, including glass, white ACM metal panels and charcoal integral-colored masonry units. The parking structure, which will be used for both employee and inventory parking, will be approximately 16 feet with one covered level and one rooftop level.

The site is currently zoned as LI PAD and the new project will not need any zoning change. However, the proposal notes that the current zoning designation (in place since 1996) requires the use of metal halide technology, which is somewhat outdated, for light fixtures. The developer would like to use LED lights in place of the old metal halide lamps. The LED lights will be beneficial because they allow dimming controls that will help reduce light after hours, they consume significantly less wattage and they eliminate much of the spill light.

In order to make sure people in the surrounding areas are aware of the new project, the developer has established a citizen participation plan. As part of this plan, a letter will be sent to a contact list that includes people and associations in the area, Superstitions Springs Auto Park HOA will be contacted for design review and approval, and the developer will make presentations upon request. Earnhardt Kia, once opened, is anticipated to provide 70 new jobs to the area.

Construction is expected to start in September and should be completed by April or May 2019. The owner hopes to send out for permits and bids this week for a general contractor.

NOTE: Paid subscribers receive additional project details in our twice-weekly PDF publication, including project stakeholder information and valuable project bidding leads. Find out more about AZBEX subscriptions or contact Rebekah Morris at rmorris@azbex.com or (480) 709-4190