Les Schwab Tire Center

When I realized that Les Schwab Tires was interested in a smaller market like Delta, CO, I was too late—someone else had already made an offer on this property, and the owner felt obligated to move forward with them because they were first.

I was frustrated for not trusting my instincts, but as we all know, not all commercial deals close. I stayed in close contact with the broker, ensuring I’d be the first call if the deal fell through. Sure enough, a car wash group that had the land under contract but was about to drop it, giving me a chance to step in. We quickly agreed to a deal for the property and the tenant lease followed shortly after.

However, once Les Schwab and I got into the details of the project, we encountered two major issues:

1. The City required additional right-of-way on Stafford Lane, which would significantly limit truck circulation due to the smaller parcel size.

2. CDOT wouldn’t permit access from Highway 92, leaving us with only one entrance/exit, for the entire property–further hindering site circulation.

To solve these challenges, I would need to enlarge our site by purchasing land from the neighboring property. Then, I would also need to improve site access by creating a drive connecting to a shopping center two parcels south, which meant negotiating with Taco Bell whose property we’d need to cross.

When I discussed my proposed solution with the Les Schwab Real Estate Manager, he was skeptical and suggested dropping the project. I proposed a step-by-step approach: first, see if the neighbor would sell us some land, then tackle the Taco Bell issue and finally, the cross access issue with the parcel two parcels south of ours. He agreed.

I contacted the owner of the land east of us, who had recently acquired it. I was expecting a quick “no” but I got a warm reception. Surprisingly, he was open to selling us a strip of land, solving our first issue.

Next, I approached the Taco Bell owner. Coincidentally, I was already buying land from him in another city. I reached out and explained my need for access through his property. While not thrilled, he saw the benefit of additional access for his parcel and agreed to help.

Finally, I needed to connect to the shopping center to the south. Initially met with some resistance, I explained the long-term benefits for their tenants and the existing cross access easement on their property. They eventually saw the logic and agreed.

It took months and months to finalize the details, but we got it done and opened the store. I'm beyond proud of the work we did to secure the best site in town for Les Schwab Tires.