What's that under construction at the car lot on Mission Street in south Salem?
Location: 1940 Mission St. SE
Description: Construction is underway on Mission and Hines streets at the former home of a car dealership and a Thriftway Market, which operated for decades at the spot.
David Withnell, the owner of Withnell Motor Co., said a certified used vehicle dealership is planned for the location.
"The vehicles will be anything and everything ... probably focusing more on trucks and SUVs," Withnell said. "There's such a high demand for that."
The lot will have about 100 to 150 cars on site, including Dodge Rams, Jeep Wranglers and Ford F-250s. The company will inspect and certify the used vehicles, and depending on the mileage and age of the vehicle, will include warranties.
Withnell plans to raise a 100-foot American flag at the dealership similar to his other location on Mission Street.
Withnell hopes to open by Memorial Day.
"I'm really excited about it," he said. "It's been a longtime project."
The company's vehicle rental service will also operate out of the building.
The location neighbors Withnell Hyundai on Mission Street. The Withnell family's longtime Dodge dealership on Commercial Street closed in 2023.
A permit listing Withnell as the owner and CD Redding Construction as the contractor for an interior remodel of the building was issued by the city in January. The work is set to include tenant improvements and facade upgrades. The city also approved permits to install multiple Withnell signs on the building.
Before it was home to various car dealerships, the location at 1940 Mission St. SE was a Thriftway Market and Nameless market. An advertisement in 1955 advertised 4 pounds of beef for 99 cents and 5-cent salad mix. Nameless transformed into Nameless Thriftway Market and eventually Atkins Thriftway Market when it was purchased in the 1970s. Statesman Journal archives indicate Thriftway had three Salem area locations for years.
The Mission Street store announced its closure in 2000. The location was soon transformed into a car sales lot.
As part of a deal to sell the dealership property on Commercial to the owner of Skyline Ford, Withnell acquired the property at 1940 Mission St. SE, where Skyline kept its overstock and sold used cars.
The retail portion will only occupy about 3,000 feet of the 20,000-square-foot building. The remaining portion is up for lease. Withnell said they are looking for a compatible business to share the space with, such as a distribution, assembly or storage operation.
Source: City of Salem records/Statesman Journal archives
Read more: What's that under construction in the Salem area?
Is there something under construction you'd like to tell us about or find out more about? Contact reporter Whitney Woodworth at wmwoodworth@statesmanjournal.com
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: What's that happening at the car lot on Mission Street in south Salem?
