Snell Indoor Auto Center

The complete interior and exterior renovation of this abandoned Menard's retail store is not only home to one of the largest indoor auto showrooms in the Midwest, but it also doubles as one of the largest spaces for community and civic events in the Mankato area.

In a unique design twist at client’s request, the former big box is the new headquarters to Snell Motors, the long-established Southern Minnesota GMC and Cadillac auto dealership and a gathering place for community events. In fact, glass garage doors were installed that specially allow for easy and fast removal of vehicles, making it simple to clear the space for events.

The interior renovation included the design and construction of a new floor plan and all new finish materials. The new interior features 22,000 square feet of indoor auto showroom space, offices, conference rooms, refreshment bistro, reception and customer waiting area, as well as a separate conference training room, which can be utilized by the community. The interior space also includes an auto service center, body shop, enclosed customer drive-up service area, and service detail shop.

The exterior renovation includes replacement of existing metal roofs with new architectural metal panels, removal of existing metal wall panels and replacement with glass curtain walls and EFIS. Designers also added many windows as well as vertical elements to better identify entries and service locations. This unique project has been featured in Architecture Minnesota magazine.

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