Showroom, repair shop in the works for Perry

There's a whole lot of shakin' going on along Providence Road from Nebraska Avenue to Interstate 70, where local car dealer Justin Perry plans to build a new showroom and service center for his Perry Nissan dealership and a "state-of-the-art" collision repair center.

Here's how it all shakes out: Perry Nissan, 1500 N. Garth Ave., will relocate this spring to a snappy new complex on a four-acre site off Providence Road between Nebraska Avenue and Interstate 70. The vacated Perry Nissan space will then be used as additional elbowroom for nearby Perry Chevrolet.

Site preparation is under way at the new location for a planned two-level, 23,800-square-foot showroom and service facility that features the latest design from Nissan with red signs, silver tiles and lots of glass. The complex will include a sales lot expected to carry an inventory of up to 200 new and used cars, he said.

A contractor has not yet been selected for the building project, Perry said.

Perry owns the site through FBN Co. LLC, and he co-owns an adjacent strip of land just north of the sprouting showroom with local restaurateur Dennis Harper. Perry recently cut a deal to buy Harper's interest in the land, which they own through Perry & Harper Leasing Co.

Perry also has inked an agreement to purchase a 1.8-acre parcel at 1407 N. Providence from Stephen and Beatrice Smith. The property, previously occupied by Perry Legend Collision Repair Center, is on the north side of Nebraska Avenue between Providence Road and Illinois Avenue.

Little Dixie Construction got the job to raze the eastern two-thirds of the 37,000-square-foot vacant building on the property to make more room for the upcoming Nissan car lot. The remaining 9,500-square-foot structure will be transformed into a high-tech auto-painting facility. Paint booths will be shipped from Italy and feature the latest computerized paint mixing technology and environmental controls.

Across the street on the south side of Nebraska Avenue, Perry plans the 15,000-square-foot Collision Center of Columbia. It's expected to open this fall on a half-acre site he owns through the Justin M. Perry Trust.

Little Dixie Construction is the contractor for the collision center, which will sport a stone-and-glass look and feature 15 repair bays with the latest equipment, high-efficiency preparation stations and other computerized car repair systems. Brian Spillars, a 20-year Perry employee, has been tapped to manage the operation.

OFF WE GO…

Phoenix-based Mesa Air Group this week released flight schedules for its U.S. Airways Express service at Columbia Regional Airport slated to start Oct. 5.

St. Louis-bound weekday flights leave at 6:35 a.m. and 3:25 p.m.

Kansas City-bound weekday flights leave at 9 a.m. and 5:20 p.m.

Outbound morning flights don't operate on Sunday, and the afternoon flights don't operate on Saturday.

Flights arrive from St. Louis at 8:45 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 5:05 p.m. Sunday through Friday.

Flights arrive from Kansas City at 3:10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10:30 p.m. Sunday through Friday.

Fares are $59 each way plus taxes and fees.