German company eyes former Auffenberg lot for light manufacturing plant
The old St. Clair Auto Mall in O’Fallon may be getting closer to redevelopment now that a German company seeks to move a light manufacturing and assembly operation into one building, city officials say.
Pintsch North America, which specializes in railroad safety, would employ up to 12 people initially, with plans for more later. It currently has a facility in Marion which would move to O’Fallon because of its interstate access.
“With Lambert (international airport) now getting a direct flight to Germany, they need to be closer to the interstate since their ownership group comes in more frequently now,” Community Development Director Justin Randall said.
Pintsch has applied for rezoning to renovate the interior of a 10,250-square-feet building on 1.76 acres at 141 Auto Court. That spot was used as the Auffenberg Dealer Group’s paint booth, repair facility and photo booth to fix and promote the vehicles they were going to sell.
The mall is located on 23 acres on U.S. Highway 50. It has been vacant since Auffenberg moved its car dealerships to Shiloh in July 2021, saying manufacturers and franchisers wanted major updates, and the buildings and parking lots were inadequate there.
Construction began on the auto mall in 1989 and the final structure was built in 2004.
The Pintsch companies are known internationally for railway wheel sensors, amplifiers, axle counting systems, and industrial products. Its headquarters are in Dinslaken, Germany, with several other locations in that country and abroad, according to its website.
Pintsch’s proposed land use is allowed in a B-2 district. Staff is recommending approval because it would expand O’Fallon’s economic base, adding jobs and potential sales tax back into the community.
There are no plans to change the exterior, Randall said.
Capital Automotive Real Estate Investment Trust, based in Virginia, currently owns, and leases, the property. The company specializes in auto dealerships, and Jamie Auffenberg sold Capital Automotive the property.
Randall said he has been approached by another business about the mall as well.
“Hopefully, we will be able to announce in the next few weeks,” he said.
O’Fallon Mayor Herb Roach said that this is the first new development, but won’t be the last, for that area.
“Usually, once you can get one moving, then things begin to start happening,” he said.
He explained that Randall has been working with the property owners to explore more options other than regional commerce.
“They’ve been open to look at different ideas and different concepts,” Roach said.
Randall said the mall’s interior lots will struggle to be a regional commercial destination.
“The ability to find an attractive use that adds jobs, potential tax base and can be a good neighbor to the surrounding business is important. Pintsch North America is a light manufacturing and assembly operation that can accomplish those goals outlined in the 2040 Master Plan,” he said.
Russell Pratt, president of Pintsch North America, attended the Planning Commission meeting Feb. 13, and said the company would not only renovate the one building, but use an area of 13,650 square foot for outdoor storage and inventory. All the existing infrastructure would remain in place.
Staff recommended that the storage lot be surrounded with a 6-foot vinyl privacy fence.
Pratt also indicated they may need to grow to about 15 employees in the next few years, Randall said.
In her report to the Planning Commission, Community Development Coordinator Abigail Cline said that while the primary business of light manufacturing and assembly is not typically considered a regional commercial use, the reuse of the auto dealership building for light manufacturing and assembly does work in this particular area.”
The development of the St. Clair Auto Mall created several interior lots without frontage to Interstate 64 and Highway 50, Cline said.
It is surrounded by mostly commercial developments. To the east is Home Depot, Lincoln Crossing and Walmart. South is Aspen Dental, MedExpress, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Castle Acres, and west is Watson’s and Metro East Christian Church.
If the plans advance through the city channels without a hitch, Randall said Pintsch should be able to begin renovations in mid-March.
Following the Planning Commission’s unanimous approval, the council’s Community Development Committee reviewed it Feb. 26, and advanced the proposal for first reading at the council meeting March 4.
In March 2017, Auffenberg announced it would move to 36 acres on Frank Scott Parkway East, east of the Green Mount Crossing Shopping Center, behind Target, and adjacent to Interstate 64.
It struck a deal with the village of Shiloh, which offered a sales tax rebate worth up to $14 million to move.
Auffenberg currently has dealerships for Ford, Chrysler Dodge Jeep, Nissan, Kia, Mazda, and Volkswagen on Frank Scott Parkway. An Auffenberg Hyundai is under construction about 30 acres away from the new site.
Prior to Interstate 64 opening in the metro-east in 1975, that area of St. Clair County was mainly agricultural.
