Former Building 19 Site will be a CarMax

What used to be a sprawling expanse of pavement and a Building 19 discount store is now a fenced-in swath of dirt piles, construction vehicles and an increasing amount of construction materials.

And soon, it will be a CarMax.

The 8.3 acre site, which straddles the border of Warwick and Cranston, received site plan approvals earlier this year and demolition began in late spring.

The new CarMax will feature a separate sales, presentation and service areas along with a 936 square foot car wash for use by the dealership.

The dealership will have 200 spaces for customers and staff and 400 spaces in the parking lot out front, which will be controlled with security gates at the existing entrances onto Route 2 north and a new limited-access exit that will be created for cars to exit onto Route 2 south.

Along with the new facilities will come a new stormwater runoff system to meet state water quality standards. The current system is tied into the closed drainage system in Route 2 and ultimately ends up into Meshanticut Brook.

The existing site also uses an older on-site wastewater treatment system. Once completed, the new CarMax facility will instead tap into the city’s sewer system.

CarMax is the nation’s largest retailer of used cars. Last year, they sold more than 860,000 cars to both the retail and wholesale markets.

The new store will bring some stiff competition to the numerous small independent used car dealerships in Cranston and Warwick.

In the first quarter of this year, the company reported $3.75 billion in revenue.