An Oakland County developer says he is hopeful that a new subscription car wash proposed for bustling Gratiot Avenue in Roseville will be profitable once it’s running even as competition in the area continues.
Gabe Schuchman, managing director of Alrig USA in Bingham Farms, plans to demolish the Days Inn & Suites by Wyndham on Gratiot near 13 Mile Road and redevelop the property into three commercial buildings for two drive-thru restaurants and an El Car Wash.
The Days Inn hotel on Gratiot Avenue in Roseville has become an obsolete property, according to the developer. (MITCH HOTTS — THE MACOMB DAILY)
The Roseville City Council last week approved a brownfield plan for the project, the first step in a multi-phase program. The plan now advances to the Macomb County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority and then the county Board of Commissioners for final approval.
Under questioning by council members, Schuchman acknowledged there are a number of subscription car washes now operating in the same area he is interested in locating in.
“We are conscious of the competition,” he told the council. “We’re hopeful that it will be profitable. We would not be building here if we did not believe that.”
A moratorium on building more car washes in Roseville has expired.
According to Jim Gammicchia of the city’s Community & Economic Development, Roseville doesn’t have a brownfield authority, so the Macomb County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority will administer the project on the city’s behalf.
The Days Inn & Suites was originally constructed in 1966 as a Georgian Inn. (MITCH HOTTS — THE MACOMB DAILY)
Aside from an El Car Wash, the 4-acre development will also include a pair of drive-thru eateries:
Portillo’s, which specializes in Italian beef, Chicago-style hot dogs, burgers, salads, and chocolate cake. The only other Portillo’s in Macomb County is on Hall Road in Sterling Heights
A Raising Cane’s chicken fingers restaurant, a first for the county
The existing 61,400-square-foot Days Inn hotel was originally built as a Georgian Inn in 1966 along Gratiot Avenue, just north of 13 Mile Road. It eventually was purchased by Days Inn and has a Gratiot Huddle Sports Bar & Grill that also will be torn down.
The hotel has become “functionally obsolete and has outlived its usefulness as a hotel.” according to Luke Bonner of Bonner Venture Group, which represents the developer.
“It’s starting to become an eyesore for the community,” Bonner said. “It’s at the tipping point of decline, so our client is proposing redevelopment now versus getting into a situation 5-10 years down the road where the community would be saying ‘what are we going to do with the property?’”
Portillo’s sells beef hot dogs in a poppy seed bun topped with mustard, neon green relish, diced onion, tomato, an entire pickle spear, whole sport peppers and dusted with celery salt. (FILE PHOTO)
Brownfields use tax increment financing boards to foster redevelopment of contaminated properties through incentives, grants, and reimbursements for eligible costs. The funds will be used to pay Alrig for the cost of demolition.
Under a brownfield plan, tax increment revenue is captured to reimburse a developer for the costs of eligible activities. In this case, it is anticipated to include about $700,000 for demolition costs funded through from tax revenue from 2027 through 2031.
The final project price is not yet known but is certain to be in the millions as Schuchman said the investment for El Car Wash’s equipment alone will be about $10 million.
Schuchman said the Miami-based chain includes about 80 locations in Florida and 10 in metro Detroit. Thirty percent of the membership-driven chain is owned by employees.
Employees earn approximately $20 an hour, while managers make around $70,000 a year, Schuchman said. He said the car wash will be involved in community activities such as supporting youth sports groups.
“A lot of car washes are not expanding today, but we are one of the few that is focused on the community and our people,” he said.
If the Raising Canes development in Roseville moves forward, it would e the first for the Louisiana-based chain to open in Macomb County. (PHOTO PROVIDED BY RAISING CANE’S)
Alrig’s existing local developments include the Sherwin Williams store and Aspen Dental, both in the 13 Mile-Little Mack Avenue area of Roseville, and several Chick-fil-A and Chipotle restaurants.
“Gratiot in Roseville is a dynamic area that everybody wants to be in, but it is tough to find a great parcel of real estate,” Schuchman said.
Closing of the deal is expected in January and demolition is anticipated for the first quarter of 2026, officials said.