Former Apple Valley Ranchos building demolished for Mister Car Wash
The former Apple Valley Ranchos Development Company building has been reduced mostly to a rubble, and will soon make way for an automatic express car wash.
Over the last week, crews began razing the building, which was built and used by developer Newton T. Bass on the northeast corner of Dale Evans Parkway and Outer Highway 18 in Apple Valley,
In March, Town of Apple Valley spokeswoman Sarah Krieg told the Daily Press that a 5,400 square-foot automatic car wash will soon stand on the corner of the old Bass property.
Mister Car Wash
The company brand has been revealed as Tucson-based Mister Car Wash, which in 2022 announced the acquisition of three Speed Wash locations in Victorville and one in Hesperia.
At Mister Car Wash, the state-of-the-art tunnel experience with the company’s proprietary cleaning systems includes a water filtration and reclamation system, according to the company.
Unlimited Wash Club members can also access all Mister Car Wash locations across the Victor Valley using the dedicated Member Only lanes.
The company has a fundraising program for nonprofit organizations. To date, they have helped groups raise more than $1.3 million through their program.
Mister Car Wash opened its 400th location on April 15 in Orlando, Florida nine months after the company went public through the New York Stock Exchange.
Apple Valley Ranchos building
Opened in 1951 by land developer Bass, the office complex was his fourth office since 1946 when he and partner Bernard "Bud" Westlund formed the company.
Over the decades, portions of the u-shaped office complex had been used by the town, physicians, professionals and most recently the owners of Agio Realty, Paul and his wife, Kari Leon, an Apple Valley councilwoman.
Paul Leon told the Daily Press that he purchased the building nearly 18 years ago.
“It’s no longer feasible to own and operate this building,” Leon said, of the structure that sat across from the old Apple Valley Inn and the site of Bass’ Hilltop House, which was demolished last year.
Paul Leon sold the property after the COVID-19 pandemic negatively changed the real estate industry and their company, he said.
Insight and transparency
Town officials on March 28, offered a press release that included “insight and transparency” on the planned demolition of the Apple Valley Ranchos Building.
As a local government, town officials say they are unable to prohibit a private property owner from demolishing a building or constructing a new project that meets an established set of rules and development code standards.
The proposed car wash to replace the former Apple Valley Ranchos building met all the town’s requirements and findings needed to approve the project within the designated “General Commercial” zone, town officials stated.
“If the town were to deny such a project that follows the standards, property owners could make a claim that we have violated their fundamental rights; something we do not take lightly, as we strive to be good stewards of both the public interest and private property ownership,” Assistant Town Manager Orlando Acevedo said.
Additionally, the building was deemed ineligible to be listed as a historic building under the California Registrar of Historic Resources, which barred the town from requiring preservation.
Historic properties
The town is the owner and responsible for only two historic properties, including the Apple Valley Golf Course and the Hilltop House, which was built by Bass in 1957.
The Hilltop House was razed last year because it had fallen into a state of disrepair caused by previous owners and was subsequently condemned because it posed serious safety concerns.
Town leaders said while they were all sad to see the Hilltop House come down, the town does have plans to erect a structure on that site that will pay homage to its history and original iconic architectural aesthetic.
In 2022, the Town Council discussed a proposed plan for a future observation deck, as well as an open-space trail atop Bass Hill.
The Apple Valley Golf Course is currently being renovated and the town is working hard to preserve the history of the site while upgrading it to be ADA-compliant.
Apply Valley and its representatives value its rich history and hope to continue to find ways to celebrate its past while supporting future growth, town officials said.
Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Former Apple Valley Ranchos building demolished for Mister Car Wash
