Race is on to finish car washes where Burger Kings once stood

It’s a whopper of a change for two prominent corners in Eden Prairie. Where once you got a burger and fries, you’ll soon be able to get a wash and wax.

City construction permits for Crew Carwash at Highway 5 and County Road 4 and a new Mister Car Wash at Prairie Center Drive and Flying Cloud Drive (replacing one that’s existed for years a block away) were issued in April, just five days apart. Now, the race toward completion is on, with mid-fall completion likely, according to Stephen Kartak of the city’s Building Inspections Division.

The two automatic car washes replace Burger King restaurants that stood vacant for years before demolition.

As much as residents might have liked potential James Beard Award-winning restaurants on those corners, that’s not how suburban development works. The properties are zoned for a variety of commercial uses, and the market dictated who bought the land from Burger King and what was built. 

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It’s another example of how the city council is mostly reactive to a development proposal; either it meets city code – or is deserving of a waiver if one is requested – or it does not.

And car washes make sense because the suburbs are so car-oriented. Figures from the U.S. Census Bureau show that nearly 47 percent of Eden Prairie households have two cars, and 19.2 percent have three or more. That means Eden Prairie residents own more than 46,000 cars that need to be cleaned of seasonal grit and grime.

The two new car washes differ from each other in some respects, not the least of which is their dollar value. On applications for city permits, Mister Carwash estimated its one-building project at $1.4 million, and Crew Carwash pinpointed its project at $5 million – higher, in part, because it has a second building for cleaning car interiors. Those dollar values don’t include land costs, Kartak said.

Below is a more detailed comparison of the two car washes. Information came from city staff reports prepared as the projects were reviewed by the planning commission and city council, from commission and council hearings and from building department permit data.

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Here’s how the projects stack up:

MISTER CARWASH

Location: 8340 Crystal View Road (corner of Prairie Center and Flying Cloud drives).

Size: 5,400 square-foot automatic car wash on 1.23 acres.

Building permit info: First building permit issued April 29. Valuation of project estimated at $1.4 million.

Capacity: Developer testified at city hearings that the business can wash over 1,000 cars per day, two cars per minute.

Sustainability: About half of the water necessary for each car wash cycle is reused in another car wash cycle, according to the city staff report. Company testified that all processes are biodegradable and its website indicates no phosphates or dyes are used.

Additional: Has outdoor vacuum bays for customers to use; this is a relocation of the Mister Car Wash nearby.

Cost: Company website says that, for Eden Prairie’s existing Mister Carwash, one-time car washes range from $10 to $26, depending on services chosen; “Unlimited Wash Club” costs range from $22.99 per month to $39.99 per month. Interior cleaning is provided only at select locations and increases the total price to between $32 and $48. Special promotional offers may change those prices.

CREW CARWASH

Location: 16345 Terrey Pine Drive (corner of Highway 5 and County Road 4).

Size: 5,858 square-foot automatic car wash, plus a 6,193 square-foot building for cleaning car interiors, on 1.35 acres.

Building permit info: First permit issued April 24. The valuation of the project is estimated at $5 million.

Capacity: Developer testified to a three- to five-minute average wash cycle, with an interior clean adding 10 minutes.

Sustainability: Developer told city officials that 35-40 percent of “gray water” is captured and reused, and said Crew Carwash on each wash uses fewer gallons of water than competitors. Its website says the company’s “proprietary blend of eight solutions are safe for your vehicle and the environment.”

Additional: Between the original Burger King and the new Crew Carwash, a franchisee proposed to build a new Burger King. It was approved by the city but never built.

Cost: Company website says one-time car washes are $11 or $22, depending on services chosen; “Unlimited Club” costs are $29.99 per month or $39.99 per month. One vehicle per plan. Locations that offer interior cleaning – it’s not a detailing service – offer a $24 single-service cleaning or $29.99 per month Unlimited Club interior cleaning; an “Ultimate Wash + Interior Clean” membership is advertised at $69.99 per month. Special promotional offers may change those prices.