Clear skies this evening will give way to mostly cloudy skies overnight. Low 63F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph..
Clear skies this evening will give way to mostly cloudy skies overnight. Low 63F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.
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Eagle Rock - Glen-Rock Car Wash, which has loomed over Colorado Boulevard for more than 50 years, has shut down and been fenced off. The facility will reopen after an extensive remodel but apparently without its current workers.
The last day of work was scheduled for July 17, according to a copy of an apparent layoff notice circulated on social media over the weekend. There was no indication they would be rehired once the car wash reopened.
“We deeply appreciate your hard work and loyalty,” the notice reads, “and our foremost concern is to help our workers find other employment. This was a hard decision but due to the current business environment, it is the right decision.”
The notice says the shutdown was permanent. But plans filed with the city two years ago indicate that the full-service facility would be replaced with an express car wash run by Bellagio Express Car Wash, which operates several locations. The company's website says the Eagle Rock car wash is under construction but did not provide a re-opening date.
The Eastsider reached out to Bellagio Express for comment but did not receive a response.
In city documents, Bellagio Express pledged to preserve the Mid-Century features of Glen-Rock, an "excellent and rare example of a 1960s car wash," according to a city historic resources survey. In fact, the facility built in 1964 could qualify as a historic landmark.
The highly-automated "express exterior" model has become popular in the car wash business. It includes automatic payment stations, DIY vacuum bays and a car wash in which the customer drives their vehicle into a conveyor belt-type system for cleaning.
"It’s common for traditional 'full service' car washes to be converted into this model, which reduces the need for labor, as well as self-service car washes where there is enough space," said Eric Wulf, CEO of the International Carwash Association.
It's unknown how many workers Glen-Rock employed or how many would be hired when the remodeled car wash reopens.
"This is really sad," said newly elected City Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez in a comment on Instagram. Glen-Rock "employed a lot of Latino elders."
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Barry Lank has worked for newspapers on the East and West Coasts, and earned an MS in journalism from Columbia University. He formerly produced "National Lampoon Presents: The Final Edition." A native of San Gabriel Valley, he now lives in East Hollywood.
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