West Augusta CarMax store remains idle

The lot is still empty.

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Tim Rausch/Staff

A CarMax Auto Superstore is finished yet remains unoccupied at 130 Mason McKnight Jr. Parkway near Interstate 20 in west Augusta.

Back | Next

Tim Rausch/Staff

A CarMax Auto Superstore is finished yet remains unoccupied at 130 Mason McKnight Jr. Parkway near Interstate 20 in west Augusta.

Back | Next

Tim Rausch/Staff

A CarMax Auto Superstore is finished yet remains unoccupied at 130 Mason McKnight Jr. Parkway near Interstate 20 in west Augusta.

And CarMax along Interstate 20 in west Augusta could remain that way for the rest of the year.

"Until the economy improves, we won't have any set date as to when that store will open," said company spokeswoman Laura Donahue.

The 13,500-square-foot store was finished in May. The Virginia-based Fortune 500 used car sales company has not opened a new location since February.

The Augusta CarMax was going to employ between 50 and 85 people, but the company said in December that it would not begin hiring until the economy improves.

In its latest quarterly earnings report, CarMax reported that it suffered a sales decline of 17 percent with weak customer traffic. The company was still profitable, however, having earnings of $28.7 million in March, April and May.

CarMax bought the 5.8 acres of property at 130 Mason McKnight Jr. Parkway in July 2008 for $1.7 million. A construction company and an asphalt company both have liens against the building totaling $464,000.

The company has 100 superstores in 46 cities. Five of those stores are in Atlanta.

The company sells only used cars younger than 6 years old with fewer than 60,000 miles.

CarMax created a sales model in which prices are set and buyers don't haggle for a better price.

CarMax will also buy any car, whether or not the seller purchases a CarMax vehicle.

Reach Tim Rausch at (706) 823-3352 or timothy.rausch@augustachronicle.com.