A national auto parts retailer could take over space on a vacant lot along Power Inn Road in Sacramento, if recently proposed plans are carried out.
A request for a fee estimate was recently filed with the city regarding a project that would see an O'Reilly Auto Parts store built at 3400 Power Inn Road. The filing doesn't indicate a developer that would oversee the project. It states the project would be built to suit a single-tenant retail development that is 15,332 square feet.
Kelli Trapani, communications coordinator for Sacramento's Community Development Department, said there were no additional details available regarding the project as a formal application hadn't been submitted to the city for the location.
Eric Bird, director of financial planning and treasury for O'Reilly Auto Parts (Nasdaq: ORLY), told the Business Journal that the company did not have any details regarding the potential Power Inn Road store but the square footage listed in the filing would be about double the size of its typical store.
"California as a whole has always been a very strong market for us," Bird said. "We do a lot of studies ahead of openings to look at various dynamics such as vehicle population and how many local mechanics and garages are in the area to gauge potential success."
He said O'Reilly Auto Parts is projected to open 180 new stores in 2022 across the country, which is fairly standard for the auto parts retailer.
"We've been hovering around that number for the last several years. It took a bit of a dip during Covid, as a lot of companies experienced due to difficulties with permitting, sourcing materials and getting people on site, but we are getting back to a normal level," Bird said.
The auto parts retailer has locations throughout the Sacramento area, according to its website.
The vacant lot where the project would go is directly south of Campway's Truck Accessory World and across the street from the Sacramento County Public Administration building.
Despite the latest filing, it's unclear exactly what developers are planning to do with the vacant lot. Documents also indicate there is a proposal for a new 59,000-square-foot industrial warehouse development on the 3-acre lot that is zoned for uses such as manufacturing and research and development. The listing was posted by real estate brokerage Newmark.
Mike Smith, a director with Newmark, said the plans for the O'Reilly Auto Parts store are premature and confidential at this time.