The O'Reilly Auto Parts store in the Westlake ACE Hardware building at 2301 Missouri Blvd. is expected to open shortly.
Signs outside the building tout the upcoming opening of the Jefferson City store, which appears to still be a few months away.
O'Reilly Vice President of Investor Relations Mark Merz told the News Tribune the store will open "in the back half of the year."
Building permits approved by Jefferson City's Building Regulations Division on April 10 noted O'Reilly hired Springfield-based contractor Springfield Builders and is spending $485,303.20 to renovate space. In all, the building has 9,800 square feet of space. Springfield Builders will build new interior walls, add bathrooms and offices, erect a new storefront sign, add an exterior concrete pad and build stairs in the building, according to the permit.
Westlake ACE Hardware has been remodeling its own space, giving the 40-year-old store an updated look and a new layout, with fresh flooring, a new lobby area and an expanded hardware department.
Merz said work to plan O'Reilly's second Jefferson City location began more than a year ago. The auto parts chain also operates a store at 1010 Missouri Blvd. In all, O'Reilly plans to open 190 new stores in 2017.
"We've been wanting to be there for quite some time," Merz said. "There's a lot of vehicles in Jefferson City, so it was a very good location. We started in Springfield and want to make sure we take care of our customers in all of our markets."
Know of any business happenings around Jefferson City? Let us know at [email protected].