The northeastern corner of Miami Lakes just south of the Palmetto Expressway is car dealer country, and one of the leaders is Miami Lakes AutoMall.
Partner Fred Senra has run the business at Northwest 167th Street and Northwest 57th Avenue/Red Road for two decades.
“We have the privilege of being right at the entrance of Miami Lakes,” Senra said. “It’s a great location because it’s on 57th [avenue].”
Senra estimated the original business was built in the 1970s by Potamkin.
“It didn’t look like it looks today,” Senra said. “The Chevrolet facility is totally new, and the Chrysler facility is totally new.”
AutoMall offers many brands, including vehicles made by Chevrolet, Chrysler; Dodge; Jeep; Kia; Mitsubishi and Ram.
Potamkin still has a presence along Northwest 167th Street, with Potamkin Hyundai.
And as part of its 12-acre campus, AutoMall recently built a multi-story garage to store inventory.
Neighboring dealers or businesses that serve the industry include DriveTime used cars; a Cummins Power South sales and service center and CarMax sales.
The auto industry presence is strong on the other side of the Palmetto Expressway, with AutoNation Ford and Honda; Palmetto 57 Nissan; Headquarter Toyota and Pep Boys, but they aren’t in Miami Lakes.
Next to the AutoMall is a Costco warehouse, where everyone from town seems to shop and which has a gas station and tire store and service for club members.
Senra says the area has grown since he took over the AutoMall dealerships in 2010.
“It has changed tremendously,” Senra said. “[Other firms] have built a number of warehouses south of where the parking garage is.”
He hopes that the area continues to grow and that when the planned connection to connect Northwest 59th Avenue to Miami Lakes Drive happens, business will increase.