Twin Cities suburb could see Minnesota's first car "vending machine"
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Image via Brooklyn Center City Council documents
An online auto dealership is eyeing the Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Center for its first car "vending machine" in Minnesota.
Driving the news: Carvana recently submitted to Brooklyn Center officials a letter of intent and concept proposal to purchase and transform a vacant city property into one of its signature car pick-up sites, according to public documents.
Details: The company is proposing building a "prominent glass structure up to 10 stories in height" on a 3.5-acre portion of land at 1601 James Circle North, next to the Federal Bureau of Investigation field office.
- Carvana proposed $2 million to buy the lot, per the letter of intent.
How it works: Carvana buyers would purchase the car online, then visit the site to pick up the vehicle and sign paperwork, Jack Horton, a member of Carvana's retail development team, told the council at a Jan. 10 study session.
- Once the paperwork is signed, the customer gets a "large coin to put into a slot," prompting a machine to retrieve the car.
- The customer can test drive the car for seven days. If they don't like it, they can return it, "no questions asked."
What they're saying: The company is looking for a location with "high visibility and freeway access in the Twin Cities area," according to a site concept.
Between the lines: The location, right off I-694, could essentially double as a billboard for the company, thanks to signage atop the tower and the displayed cars.
Yes, but: Some council members expressed concerns about government actions and consumer complaints against the company in other states, as well as using such a big parcel for a project that would create a relatively small number of estimated jobs.
- Horton, who told members he couldn't discuss complaints, defended the company's customer service model, per meeting minutes.
What's next: Carvana would need to submit a land use application to the city to kick off the formal approval process for buying and developing the land.
- A spokesperson for Brooklyn Center said no additional conversations have happened since the meeting. Carvana declined to comment.