EAST PROVIDENCE – The former PreOwned Factory property at 854 Taunton Ave. in East Providence, part of a busy stretch of Route 44 that’s packed with auto dealerships, was purchased recently for nearly $6.8 million by Balise Motor Sales, according to public records.
The 1.07-acre property, which previously contained a 5,400-square-foot dealership building that was constructed in 1986, was flattened and ripped up last year, paving the way for the ongoing construction of a Flash Car Wash at the site.
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The property, located in a commercial C5 zone, was sold by Bocada Taunton Ave LLC, according to a copy of the quitclaim deed, a public record of the sale. It was purchased by BAR CW East Providence LLC, according to the deed.
Bocada Taunton Ave LLC is affiliated with David Tasca Jr., vice president of Tasca Automotive Group Inc., which operates auto dealerships and automotive service providers in Woonsocket, Johnston, Cranston, Seekonk, Massachusetts, and East Providence, along with others throughout the country.
BAR CW East Providence LLC is affiliated with Balise Motor Sales, which operates about 25 new and used car dealerships in Warwick, western Massachusetts, Cape Cod, and Fairfield, Connecticut. The company was founded by Paul E. Balise, starting as a backyard garage in Hatfield, Mass., in 1919, before the establishment of his first Chevrolet dealership in Chicopee Falls, Mass., in 1929.
In addition to car dealerships and repair shops, the company also now operates car washes throughout the region, said James E. Balise Jr., president of the fourth-generation West Springfield-based family business. This new 854 Taunton Ave. car wash that’s currently under construction will join 18 other Flash Car Washes owned and operated by Balise in Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts, said Balise.
The new Flash Car Wash in East Providence should be open by July 1, Balise said.
The East Providence car wash will employ around 12 people, he said.
Balise said the new Flash Car Wash in East Providence will feature a 150-foot “express” tunnel, featuring the latest car wash equipment that the company uses at its other sites, including its locations at 1551 Warwick Ave. in Warwick and 208 Gansett Ave. in Cranston.
“We just have a great setup, where people get a really clean car and a really dry spot-free car,” Balise said. “This, along with others, will continue to grow the Flash brand.”
Balise said his company also bought the Personal Touch Car Wash, closing on that deal in mid-April. A Personal Touch Car Wash located in Johnston will reopen as a Flash Car Wash in mid-April following a renovation there, Balise said.
“We shut that down to do a total refurbishment, and put in complete new equipment,” he said.
Balise said another Personal Touch Car Wash continues to operate on Mineral Spring Avenue in North Providence. But he said that one won’t change into a Flash Car Wash until a renovation is planned there sometime in the future.
All of the car washes owned by Balise employ about 200 people in total, Balise said.
James Balise Jr. became the president of the fourth-generation family company in 1986, and it now employs over 1,500 associates at facilities in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island.
In Rhode Island, the company operates Balise Chevrolet of Warwick, Genesis of West Warwick, Balise Honda of West Warwick, Balise Nissan of Warwick, Balise Subaru in West Warwick, Balise Toyota of Warwick, and Balise Volkswagen in West Warwick.
While the 854 Taunton Ave. property sold for $6.8 million, East Providence property assessors most recently valued the property in fiscal year 2023 as being worth $623,300, according to the city’s online property tax evaluation database.
Marc Larocque is a PBN contributing writer.
