“It’s basically a total demolition and total redevelopment of that site for Zips Car Wash,” said Fairfield Development Services Director Greg Kathman.
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Zips Car Wash was founded in 2004 in northeast Arkansas, and grew to close to 100 locations by 2017 when it acquired another national car wash, according to CarWash.com. The chain ranked second in 2018 with the most car wash locations, according to the website.
The company now has 149 locations in 15 midwest and southern states, according to its website. The closest Zips Car Wash is in Louisville, Ky.
The proposed Fairfield location at 5274 Dixie Highway is a half-mile north of the city’s mile-long stretch of auto and motorcycle dealers, and Kathman said Zips would “fit in with that group of businesses.”
“That’s a positive sign,” he said of the proposed development. “It shows that there’s still a lot of interest for businesses to locate on Route 4, which is our major commercial thoroughfare. And to see that level of investment, to go in and basically do a total scrape off and rebuild, shows that people have confidence in the long-term viability of the corridor.”
Zips would also be the second car wash along this stretch of Ohio 4. Mike's Car Wash, which has been open for several years at 4025 Acme Drive, is a little more than a mile south. Zips touts itself as a fast service using "the latest technologies in car washing," according to its website. They offer a variety of Express Wash services and its most popular is the 3-minute Ride-Thru Tunnel Wash.
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Officials with Zips could not be reached for comment.
It could be about 30 days before the permitting process is finalized and work on the site can begin, according to the construction company and city officials.
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