REDONDO BEACH, CA — For a decade, a deserted carwash on a busy street here sat crumbling with cracked asphalt, graffiti-covered walls and broken windows. In fact, homeless people have been sleeping at the location for years, dailybreeze.com reported.
The Aug. 11 story stated that Councilman Bill Brand even included the property in his 2009 campaign. He promised to get the land developed and to keep it zoned for commercial use.
“Ultimately, our planning department enforced the code, and worked with the property owners and got things moving,” Brand said in the article. “Granted, it was vacant for 10 years but (the property owner) was looking for a tenant and looking to get something done. It just took a long, long time.”
There were proposals to build a supermarket and a fast food restaurant, but in June carwash consultant Chris McKenna signed a 35-year lease with two partners to operate the Redondo Auto Spa. Residents and city leaders joined together on-site to celebrate the plan for the property.
When the wash is completed, it is expected to be the first hydrogen-cell powered carwash in the country. According to story, natural gas will be turned into hydrogen and then electricity. Also, the water will be recycled.
The Redondo Auto Spa will require an investment of approximately $1.3 million. The new building will be about 3,700 square feet, and it will be able to process about 35 cars an hour.