John Menard, founder and owner of Menards, the Midwestern chain of home improvement stores, Tom Kelley, president of Kelley Automotive Group, and Mayor Tom Henry will announce major business expansions at a news conference at 1 p.m. Wednesday, March 7, at Menards, 6310 Illinois Road.
Menards plans a $5-$6 million project that will enhance customer pickup for residential and commercial consumers at both the 6310 Illinois Road and 5511 Meijer Drive locations. Each location also will debut a new mezzanine level that will feature additional products and improve the customer shopping experience.
Kelley Automotive will announce plans to move five dealerships currently located in the 14/69 Auto Mall to Illinois Road, adjacent to Menards. These include BMW, Volvo, Cadillac, Buick, GMC and the Superstore, along with the parts departments, service departments, car wash and the Kelley Automotive body shop currently located in the 14/69 Auto Mall. The investment will total $45 to $50 million.
Menards will partner with Kelley Automotive to improve traffic flow by establishing new entrances and additional access points to both Menards and the new Kelley Auto Mall. Together, the two companies will invest $12-$13 million in improved infrastructure.
“I continue to be encouraged by the positive momentum and excitement we’re experiencing in Fort Wayne,” said Mayor Tom Henry. “I appreciate the commitment to our community being demonstrated by John Menard and Tom Kelley. This substantial private investment assists us in our ongoing efforts to be a destination city to live, work and play. Economic growth and success have positioned Fort Wayne and northeast Indiana as a leader in job growth and business expansion opportunities.”
Together, these investments are expected to generate an incremental $45 to $50 million of tax revenue for the City of Fort Wayne, which will work with the developers on public infrastructure improvements that will be needed for the development. Witwer Construction, Inc., will be the developer for all infrastructure and Kelley Automotive real-estate construction.
