A new express car wash is on its way to the southwest corner of John Wayne Parkway and Honeycutt Avenue, opposite the Lowe’s Home Improvement store that will open next month. Phoenix-based Super Star Car Wash plans to turn a roughly 2-acre empty lot into a full-service facility with an automated wash tunnel and self-serve vacuum stations. 

The proposal, currently under review by the City of Maricopa, outlines a 4,000-square-foot wash tunnel featuring a high-efficiency conveyor system, three express pay stations and 20 vacuum bays, down from 34 in the initial March 2024 proposal. 

The car wash would be open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. 

Designed with both appearance and the local area in mind, the building will feature textured concrete blocks, ribbed metal panels and bold red canopies to give it a modern, eye-catching look, according to new renderings released this week. More than 16,000 square feet of landscaping along John Wayne Parkway and Maricopa Road is also planned to boost curb appeal. 

The new architectural mockups included with the proposal were submitted by California-based AO Architects. 

The property is zoned for general commercial use and is surrounded by mostly undeveloped lots, though the catty-cornered Lowe’s is nearly finished on the northeast corner and a cannabis dispensary already opened on the southeast corner earlier this year. 

Three other commercial buildings, one of which will become a Panera Bread, were recently proposed for the same plaza called South Bridge Marketplace. In a statement filed with the project, representative Madison Leake said the car wash fits well within the new southern terminus of the John Wayne strip. 

“This proposed Super Star will add a necessary service in a suitable location,” the application states. 

The company doesn’t expect the new location to generate much additional traffic, saying most visits will be quick pass-by stops. To keep noise levels down, all major equipment will be enclosed inside the building, and noise-reduction technology will be used. 

Noise was the key concern in a shock rejection earlier this week when the Maricopa Planning and Zoning Commission rejected another car wash proposal.  Las Vegas-based Terrible’s gas station is planning a convenience store at Bowlin and Porter Roads, its farthest from the Nevada state line. Developers for the chain wanted to rezone a parcel that would have given it permission to add a car wash. The item failed after a 3-3 vote, with one commissioner absent. 

Meanwhile, customers at the upcoming Super Star Car Wash will have access from both John Wayne Parkway and a drive connecting it to Lowe’s. A three-lane queuing area will be built to handle busy periods at the pay stations, said developers. 

The project still needs city approval, and signage will be submitted under a separate permit. Leake wrapped up the proposal by calling the car wash “an attractive development that will be an asset to the area.” 

If built, Super Star would be the third standalone car wash in Maricopa. Fast & Friendly Express Car Wash operates two locations in town: one at John Wayne Parkway and Hathaway Avenue, and another on Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway. 

Kerry’s Car Care expressed interest in constructing a car wash on Honeycutt and Porter roads by submitting paperwork in 2023. However, the business has not moved forward with opening. 

Super Star, founded in Chandler in 1993, operates dozens of car washes in Arizona, SoCal, Colorado and Texas. The company’s general manager in Casa Grande was unaware of the construction timeline when reached by phone this morning.