Baxter getting a new auto parts retail store at the intersection of Highway 70 and Highway 56.
Auto Zone will be situated adjacent to the existing Dollar General and will utilize a 50-foot easement for property access. Building Inspector Bob Lane said the project follows extensive inquiries from the company.
“I was told it was,” Lane said. “Until you see them breaking ground you’re never sure of nothing, but they have asked every question they can ask and everything was a plus, there was not one single thing that looked like it would deter it.”
Lane said the store building is expected to face Highway 56. While formal drawings have not yet been presented to the full council, Lane said the company may request minor adjustments as the work progresses.
“They will be coming in asking for small changes and things, it’s nothing that we can’t do and shouldn’t do, it’s just work in progress but they’ll actually egress off Highway 70 into the Dollar Store’s parking lot,” Lane said.
Mayor Danny Holmes said the store chose the location because of its proximity to the two major highways. Holmes said the addition of a second automotive parts retailer will provide residents with more options without negatively impacting existing local businesses.
Holmes said he only recently learned of the specific retailer’s identity after the company began scouting local real estate. The store joins several other active construction projects in the area, including a new doctor’s office on Main Street and multiple housing developments.
Construction on the AutoZone site is expected to begin following the completion of the planning and permitting process.