Construction is well underway at the site of Petsource by Scoular, which will open in Seward’s Rail Campus on the south end of town in the fall of 2020.
Seward Rail Campus's second tenant sort of came before its first.
The newest addition to the multi-million dollar project actually started when Brian Levander reached out to Seward County Chamber Development and Development Partnership Jonathan Jank in November 2014. Levander talked about how he wanted his business, Levander Automotive, to continue expanding from its Grand Island roots. Jank mentioned the Rail Campus. Talks continued sparingly until this year. Then it came to fruition.
As PetSource begins operations at the Rail Campus, the final hurdles clear to add a Levander Automotive location on the lot immediately southeast of PetSource.
Levander started his automotive business in Grand Island in 1997 and has since branched out to seven different communities, offering collision-damage repair as well as mechanical repair, tires, brake alignments and other service work. They have locations in markets as big as Omaha but he prefers to move into possibly under-served communities like York, St. Paul, and now Seward.
Typically they look for a field site to begin construction, but the construction of the Rail Campus saved them money and time when finding a new location.
“We try to be within the city limits and sometimes zoning laws can be a challenge but I think the Rail Campus was a fit for that,” Levander said. “I have to say that Jonathan and everyone else I've worked with at the city has been progressive and helpful. Some people take for granted that their city is doing that because not every city is like that.”
The Seward City Council voted to approve the final land deal for Levander Automotive at its July 21 meeting. That deal, which isn't unique to those Levander said he's made before, plotted out the initial deal with first refusal rights to purchase an additional plot to the north, should the business seek expansion. Those involved said the full deal should close by the end of September, shovels should hit the ground this year and the location should open near the beginning of 2021, barring any unforeseen obstacles.
“He didn't necessarily want to be the first business on the Rail Campus but he wanted to be a perfect complimentary business for the production industry,” Jank said. “With highway frontage, commercial developments to grow over time, Levander is the perfect fit for that.”
Levander reiterated his excitement for the location and the project. His excitement has him hopeful to open by the start of the new year, although he mentioned the planning, codes and authorization that has thrown obstacles at his other locations before. He said that the location's design work has already been completed.
“It took us a long time to get to where we're at but we like where we're at,” he said.
