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O’Reilly’s Auto opens in Campbell after two years of development
CAMPBELL
A land developer told Campbell Mayor Nick Phillips in 2015 that an O’Reilly’s Auto Parts wouldn’t be interested in opening a location in the city.
“He said they wouldn’t be interested, but I wasn’t about to take no for an answer,” Phillips said.
Earlier this month, an O’Reilly’s Auto Parts opened on McCartney Road in Campbell.
After taking office in 2015, Phillips wanted to make headway on a campaign promise to bring new businesses into the city. O’Reilly’s Auto Parts was one of several businesses he hoped to court, so he reached out to the business directly.
“They said that a store in Campbell actually would fill a hole in their coverage area, so they were excited to talk. Eventually, we made a deal, and they decided to buy the property.”
O’Reilly’s paid $15,000 for a vacant spot at 403 McCartney Road. Before building at the location, Phillips said the site was in need of a major cleaning.
“That spot looked like a wasteland,” Phillips said. “They did a good job getting it cleaned up.”
The tax revenue generated from the business is much needed by the city, which has seen its revenue pool dry up as its aging population continues to move onto fixed incomes or leave the area.
Over the past two months, Campbell leaders have hosted town-hall meetings to discuss the potential sale of the water plant, the last major asset the city owns. Should the city sell the plant, the only options for generating significant revenue for the city are to court new businesses or develop its brownfield sites.
“It’s always a big plus whenever a business opens in your city, especially when you’re a struggling community financially,” Phillips said. “I’d love to get some big businesses in here, too, but I’ll take all the O’Reilly’s I can get.”