A long-vacant CVS building at the corner of Berlin Turnpike and Deming Road is one step closer to becoming a car wash, after the Berlin Planning and Zoning Commission voted 4-3 to approve a zoning change allowing car washes in part of the Planned Shopping-B zone. The text amendment permits car washes by special permit on lots of at least 1.5 acres, opening the door for Splash Car Wash to move forward with plans for the site.
Splash Car Wash is under contract to buy three adjoining lots at 272, 280, and 308 Berlin Turnpike, which together total 6.48 acres at the corner of Deming Road, according to Hartford Business Journal. The parcels are owned by General Financial Services Inc., per town records cited in the report, and had been listed for $4.5 million. The proposal reportedly drew no opposition at the meeting where commissioners cast their votes.
Splash still needs to secure a special permit and site plan approval before any construction can begin, the outlet notes. Andrea Laviero Krawiecki, who works for East Coast Real Estate Associates, said the next step is moving forward with the site plan approval process. Dennis Ceneviva, based in Meriden, said the car wash would be only one part of a larger development planned for the property, though the application filing does not specify what else would be built there.
A Shuttered Pharmacy Finds New Life
The 10,112-square-foot CVS building at 308 Berlin Turnpike was constructed in 2000 and has sat vacant for about three years, reflecting a broader pattern of shuttered suburban pharmacy locations across Connecticut. The Berlin Turnpike, designated CT Route 15, carries roughly 40,000 vehicles daily, while the intersecting Deming Road handles about 13,500 vehicles per day, according to Connecticut Department of Transportation data cited by the same Hartford Business Journal report. That traffic volume helps explain why the corner parcel has drawn interest for a commercial drive-through reuse.
The site sits within a stretch of the turnpike that Berlin officials have actively tried to revitalize. In September 2019, town planners approved a $10 million to $12 million development for 72 apartment units and 18,000 square feet of retail at 196 Berlin Turnpike, near Deming Road, under a new town floating zone ordinance meant to encourage diverse corridor reuse. More recently, developer Calco Construction proposed a separate mixed-use project in September 2025 spanning 466 Deming Road and 337 Berlin Turnpike, combining fast-food, retail, and warehouse space.
A Private Equity-Backed Expansion
Splash Car Wash was founded in Greenwich, Connecticut, in 1981, and by the time private equity firm AEA Investors acquired a majority stake in 2025, the chain had grown to more than 65 locations across Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and Vermont, with additional expansion into Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Splash had previously been backed by Boston-based Palladin Consumer Retail Partners, which bought into the chain in October 2018 when it had just 18 locations, according to Private Equity Professional. When AEA took over in April 2025, 22-year company veteran and COO Dan Petrelle was named chief executive, succeeding co-founder Mark Curtis, who moved into the role of board chairman.
Per trade publication Professional Carwashing & Detailing, as reported by Private Equity Professional, Splash ranks as the 19th largest car wash operator in the United States, washing more than one million vehicles annually. Since partnering with AEA, the company has moved quickly on acquisitions across the Northeast, picking up Auto Wash in New York in August 2025, Spiffy Car Wash in Commack, and Five Star Car Wash in East Northport this past March, according to the International Carwash Association.
The Berlin proposal fits that broader growth pattern, pairing a private equity-backed chain hunting for high-traffic sites with a town eager to fill a vacant storefront. With the zoning hurdle cleared, the project's fate now rests on the special permit and site plan reviews still ahead, where traffic, design, and environmental questions tied to the Deming Road corner will be weighed in detail.
