Despite ‘tremendous traffic count,’ stretch of properties on New Circle sits empty

Let’s take a drive along East New Circle Road.

The traffic light stops us at New Circle and Eastland. On one side sit the luxurious Infiniti dealership; on the other, a Mi Mexico rebuilt near where the original restaurant operated.

Then we continue toward the next traffic light at Industry Road. On the right side, the Wing Hut, once Lexington’s first McDonald’s, is vacant. The McDonald’s opened in 1961.

Encore Rental and Sales, spread over two buildings at 761 and 765 New Circle, is also vacant. At 757 New Circle, Don Tako restaurant, whose building started life as a Wendy’s, is vacant as well.

Across New Circle, the building that once housed the defunct Eastland Bowling Lanes is vacant. Nearby, at 684 New Circle, all that remains of Taqueria San Miguel is its sign (the restaurant has re-opened at 3429 Buckhorn Drive). Taqueria San Miguel’s building was once a Dairy Queen.

Where much of New Circle is filled with used car lots and pawn shops, this stretch is a challenge for infill, according to a real estate broker representing some of the vacant buildings.

James Schrader, principal auctioneer and broker at Schrader Commercial Properties, said the buildings from Wing Hut to Don Tako are all aging structures that could be replaced if a client wanted to put together the properties for a larger retail endeavor.

“You’ve got tremendous traffic count,” Schrader said. “There’s probably approximately 50,000 cars per day going by there.”

Shrader cited the Infiniti dealership at 801 East New Circle and the J.D. Byrider dealership at 770 East New Circle as examples of redevelopment. The Infiniti dealership sits on the site of the former Continental Inn.

And nearby, the Eastland Shopping Center had also undergone a facelift, he said. The center got a $1.5 million renovation this year that includes facade work, fresh paint and an updated pylon sign as well as the new Central Roll Call Center for the Fayette County Police Department, which opened in August, 2017.

And there’s a temporary tenant for the bowling alley. Charles Rashid, who operates the J.D. Byrider’s franchise and owns the building that formerly housed Eastland Bowling, said the 46,000 square foot building will be used for the next two months for Toys for Tots.