New tenant found for old Elyria Walmart

ELYRIA — The old Walmart on West River Road has a new owner.

The facility will become the latest location of Car Parts Warehouse, one of the largest automotive aftermarket parts distributors in the country with locations all over Northeast Ohio.

Di Fiore Family Properties LLC purchased the property, measuring more than 120,000 square feet on 13 acres of land, on Aug. 3 for $620,000. This is the first time the property has been occupied since Walmart closed in 2010 after a larger Walmart Supercenter opened in Lorain.

Located at Lighthouse Village Shopping Center, that 200,000-square-foot store opened off Leavitt following the Elyria store’s closing.

Car Parts Warehouse started in 1975 as Di Fiore’s Union 76, according to an online history of the company.

In the last 40 years, growth has continuously taken place in the company with locations in Medina, Euclid, Maple Heights and Mentor.

A call for comment to Car Parts Warehouse not returned Tuesday.

A woman who answered the phone at the corporate office said the company is a good company that is growing, but said she could not say much else and someone would return the call.

Mayor Holly Brinda mentioned the purchase of the shuttered box store Saturday during the formal dedication for Pioneer Plaza. While talking about the progress happening in the city, Brinda said the location is getting a new automotive parts provider that will distribute from Elyria to parts all over the state and country.

The old Walmart property was sold by River Street Realty LLC, which is affiliated with Namdar Realty Group. Namdar is the new owner of Midway Mall. Namdar purchased the old Walmart and the River Street Square Shopping Center in March 2015 for $1.575 million in a five-parcel deal.