Buc-ee's Car Wash eyes July opening in Daytona's LPGA area. Here's what else is coming.

DAYTONA BEACH — Construction is underway on a slew of new restaurants, retail stores and entertainment venues in Daytona Beach's fast-growing LPGA area.

Set to open later this month: an Ace Hardware store on the northeast corner of LPGA and Williamson boulevards and a Buc-ee's Car Wash one block to the west. The latter is next to the enormously popular 104-pump Buc-ee's gas station/travel convenience center that last year drew an astounding 5.4 million visitors.

Opening in either late July or early August: an Ashley HomeStore at Tomoka Town Center, which will also welcome the opening this fall of a PopStroke miniature golf family fun center and restaurant.

But that's just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what's in the works for Daytona Beach's LPGA area.

Buc-ee's Car Wash set to open in mid- to late July

The final touches are being put on a Buc-ee's Car Wash at 2330 Gateway North Drive, on the northwest corner of Technology and LPGA boulevards.

"Buc-ee's does not have a definitive date for opening, but is hopeful that the new car wash will open within the next three weeks," wrote Jeff Nadalo, general counsel for Texas-based Buc-ee's Ltd. in an email on July 1.

At 235 feet in length, it will be the longest car wash tunnel in Florida.

To put it in context, the Mister Car Wash one block away at 1881 LPGA Blvd. is 145 feet long.

The average length for car wash tunnels nationally is 120 feet, according to industry trade news website Carwash.com.

Length matters when it comes to car washes. Industry expert Steve Gaudreau explained why in a 2017 interview with Carwash.com: "The longer the tunnel, the higher the quality of the wash and the higher the volume you will be able to serve effectively."

The world's longest car wash tunnel is the 255-foot-long Buc-ee's Car Wash in Katy, Texas, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.

'Soft opening' planned later this month for Ace

The 14,000-square-foot Ace Hardware store on the northeast corner of LPGA and Williamson boulevards, will open its doors 7 a.m. on Monday, July 22. The "soft opening" will include opening-day discounts as well as grilling demonstrations and free samples, according to Dhaval Patel, one of the owners of the new store at 2080 LPGA Blvd.

A grand opening is planned for Aug. 30 and 31 of Labor Day Weekend.

The new Ace Hardware is owned by two local families: Patel and his brother, Mitul Patel, a local physician, and friends Hardik Shah and his wife Ankita. Dhaval Patel owns the 7-Eleven across the street as well as six more in Daytona Beach and Ormond Beach.

Hardik Shah is a cyber security expert who works for Florida Health Care Plans. His wife used to work at FHCP as well as for Volusia County Schools. She will become the store manager at the new Ace store.

"An Ace Hardware is exactly what the community needs," said Dhaval Patel. "I used to live in Bayberry Lakes. It was hard to find stuff (nearby). I liked Ace and wanted to bring one here. When he heard of our plans, my brother wanted to join in."

The new Ace Hardware will include a garden center. It will employ 30 people. Hiring began on July 1 with six people hired the first day, said Patel.

Hardik Shah said he and his partners chose the corner of LPGA and Williamson because it is the heart of an area that's seen thousands of new homes and apartment units spring up in recent years.

"You've got Latitude Margaritaville and so many other communities coming up," he said. "The area's growth is exciting."

Ashley HomeStore on track to open this summer

Construction is nearly finished on a 60,169-square-foot Ashley HomeStore along the east side of Interstate 95, at Tomoka Town Center. The standalone store is between Rooms To Go and Sam's Club.

"We're tidying up the last details (for the new Ashley HomeStore). We will turn it over to them (the retail chain) some time in early to mid-July," said Kevin Letch, senior development manager with the Sembler Company. Sembler developed the store on behalf of the Wisconsin-based Ashley Furniture chain. "Once we do that, it's pretty much a matter of moving in, setting up and opening for them."

Ben Haverty, a commercial Realtor with Colliers International, is the leasing agent for the Volusia Marketplace retail center three miles to the south where the current 50,075-square-foot Ashley HomeStore is located.

Haverty confirmed that the retailer will close its store at Volusia Marketplace once the new one opens at Tomoka Town Center. As of July 1, the retailer had yet to inform him when that date would be. He said it is likely that the new store will open some time in August.

A new tenant has not yet been signed to replace Ashley at Volusia Marketplace. "We're working on it right now," Haverty said.

Ashley Furniture officials did not respond to requests for comment.

PopStroke anticipates 'early fall' opening

PopStroke continues to take shape along the east side of Cornerstone Boulevard at Tomoka Town Center. The address is 1293 Cornerstone Blvd., across the street from Tanger Outlets mall.

Officials for the Jupiter, Florida-based PopStroke chain did not respond to requests for a project update.

On June 28, the company posted an aerial photo of the 3.6-acre construction site on its Facebook page along with the message: "Daytona, start your engines. Our construction team will be crossing the finish line early this Fall!"

PopStroke's financial backers include PGA golf legend Tiger Woods and golf equipment maker TaylorMade.

PopStroke describes itself on its website as an "experiential golf and casual dining concept merging a dynamic, technologically-advanced golf environment with food and beverage."

The Daytona Beach PopStroke will feature two 18-hole mini-golf courses that include fairways, bunkers and roughs. It will also offer a full-service restaurant, an outdoor gaming area, a kids playground, LED televisions, and a Jumbotron TV screen.

What else is coming?

Site work is continuing on a new retail center called Ridgewood Park along the north side of LPGA Boulevard, between Williamson and Clyde Morris boulevards.

According to Daytona Beach City Planner Dennis Mrozek, preliminary plans have been submitted to his staff for four anticipated tenants: a Bojangle's fast-food eatery, a Panda Express Asian-inspired casual dining restaurant, a Take 5 Oil Change shop, and a drive-through-only coffee shop called Dutch Bros.

The logos for Bojangles and Panda Express also appear on a marketing brochure promoting available space for a separate retail project across the street.

The leasing agent for the yet-to-be named retail project is Jason Kaiser of SRS, whose brochure aims drum up interest by showing who its future neighbors are expected to be.

Jeff Johnson, a commercial Realtor with Colliers International, is handling leasing activity for Ridgewood Park on behalf of Winter Garden-based developer WMG Development.

"I cannot share who the tenants are, but you are on the right track with the logos," he said of Kaiser's brochure.

"I can tell you that so far we have three signed tenants, and one in the final stages (of negotiations). It will be some type of retail," said Johnson. "As far as the last piece (the fifth of the project's five store pads), we're talking with three different potential tenants. One could potentially be dining."

Kaiser is marketing available restaurant and retail space at four vacant properties across the street.

One is directly across from the future Ridgewood Park, just east of the Shoppes at Williamson Crossing.

Two are along the east side of Williamson Boulevard, directly south of where a Sprouts Farmers Market grocery store is planned at the Shoppes at Williamson Crossing.

The fourth land parcel is along the west side of Clyde Morris, south of the existing apartment complex on the corner of LPGA and Clyde Morris.

All four land parcels are part of the already approved Oasis mixed-use development that will include luxury apartments. The commercial portions total 35 acres and were recently sold by the Oasis project's master developer to a different developer.

Potential tenants for the unnamed retail project could include another grocery store as well as a 120-room hotel and more restaurants and shops, according to Kaiser's brochure.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Retail hot streak continues along Daytona's LPGA Blvd. What's coming.