Nelms plans 20-acre car lot in Fayetteville

Don Nelms, owner of Honda, Acura, Lincoln-Mercury and Chevrolet dealerships in Fayetteville, plans to begin construction this summer of a 20-acre car lot on land he owns at the intersection of U.S. Highway 71 and Arkansas Highway 112 in Fayetteville (where Interstate 540 becomes Highway 71).

Construction is expected to be completed in a year, give or take three months.

The new lot will allow Nelms to consolidate his automotive empire in one location and double his inventory of cars initially. He now has three cramped car lots on busy U.S. Highway 71B — two for new cars and one for used cars.

Nelms plans to construct six buildings at the new location. He says they’ll probably cost about $6 million to build.

“Nelms bought the land, and additional property adjacent to it, back in 1995. The recent completion of Interstate 540 from Fayetteville to Alma has made the Nelms’ new spot a prime location with easy access for anyone traveling 540 through the Ozarks.

“Nelms says sales at the new location will determine what size inventory he keeps on hand. When asked if he would be adding new automotive lines to those he has been selling for years, Nelms replied, “Not immediately.”