- Advance Auto Parts opened July 31 as the first business in Newberry's Highland Park development, located at 24093 W Newberry Rd.
- Highland Park plans include 150,000 square feet of commercial space with businesses like Wawa and Chipotle and 350 new dwelling units over time.
Advance Auto Parts is officially the first business to open in Newberry’s Highland Park, two years after city officials broke ground on the 128-acre commercial development across from the Newberry Farms Publix.
Advance opened July 31 at 24093 W Newberry Rd. and is the national chain’s eighth in Alachua County, with five in Gainesville, one in Alachua and one in High Springs.
It’s open from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday. A grand opening is slated for Aug. 15.
“This opening represents more than a new place to shop; it’s the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Highland Park and another step forward in Newberry’s continued growth,” the city posted to Facebook on Monday. “We’re thrilled to welcome the Advance Auto Parts team to our community and look forward to seeing them serve our residents for years to come.”
Other businesses approved or that are in the approval process for Highland Park—which encompasses 150,000 square feet of commercial space—include Wawa, Chipotle, Heartland Dental, Your Storage Units Self Storage and McDonald’s.
Developers from Gromax Development also plan to add 350 dwelling units over time and the city installed its second stoplight in January at Newberry Lane for Highland Park traffic.
Like its neighboring stores, Advance in Newberry offers free services including battery installation and recycling, front and rear wiper blade installation, alternator and starting system testing, engine code scanning, loaner tools and recycling for various fluids.
Customers can also order curbside and in-store pickup on the Advance Auto Parts App.
Newberry currently has a NAPA Auto Parts store available for automotive repair supplies; however, several community members have expressed a desire for an additional option.
“I wish my husband was alive to see this,” posted a Facebook user named Patty Basa. “All the many trips he had to take from Trenton to [Advance] in Gainesville. He frequented Napa quite a bit but I guess when they didn’t have what he needed, he had to take the long stroll out to Gainesville. Look at Newberry grow.”
