What’s happening with the St. Clair Auto Square mall in O’Fallon? Here the latest

Plans are in motion for new businesses to move into the St. Clair Auto Mall location in O’Fallon that once was home to Auffenberg Dealer Group.

O’Fallon Mayor Herb Roach said city leaders had a meeting Thursday, July 14, about future plans for the location, including discussions with Capital Automotive Real Estate Investment Trust, a Virgina-based real estate company that specializes in auto dealerships.

“Since the cars have been moved, a lot of people have noticed that and the interest has spiked considerably,” Roach said. “We’ve been having several good conversations with different firms. We’re not releasing any of those yet because it’s too early to say anything.”

Jamie Auffenberg sold the property to a real estate investment trust, which has been leasing out the location. Roach said all the cars were moved off the lot in the past four weeks and, since then, interest has perked up.

“The good thing is there is some good, active interest going on,” Roach said. “It has really spiked in the last 30 days.”

Roach added the REIT has put up some signage at the location.

“I know in their conversation they prefer leasing, but I know they are open to sale as well,” he said. “That can be in portions as well as the whole thing because they’re willing to divide that up.They were very positive with some of the feedback that they’ve been getting recently.”

Roach said the location could serve any number of possible options from retail operations to automotive.

“Anything in retail operations would good. That generates sales tax,” Roach said. “Or anything on the automotive side — which it is set up to handle — or something related to that. Some of those buildings might be able to be reused for an office or a lawyer’s office or an engineering firm could utilize it.

“I don’t know if it could be used for a restaurant, but some of them might be refurbished. Someone might tear the buildings down completely and start anew.”

Whatever business(es) move in, Roach said they are landing in a prime spot.

“You’ll have good exposure on I-64 and Route 50 for most of the lots. There’s two or three lots in the middle that don’t have that exposure; it all depends on how they lay it out,” he said.

Roach acknowledged the loss of sales tax revenue to the city, which he estimated at $750,000 to $1 million annually. Hope is that the former Auffenberg cite will generate new revenue for the city.

“We’re really feeling good based on the discussion we had (Thursday),” he said. “It looks like they’re getting some good tread. It’s surprising the number of different companies from different fields looking at it. That was a pleasant surprise with the discussions that we had from different types of businesses.”