Gaithersburg has issued a construction permit for a $2.5 million Auto Spa Express on Fields Road, at the site of the former Ziki Japanese Steakhouse. The restaurant closed in 2020, and the property has been vacant since.
The permit is for a new building of about 5,106 square feet, according to The MoCo Show. WLR Automotive, which owns a nearby lube center on Fields Road, proposed a car wash for the site in 2023.
From Proposal to Permit
WLR sought approval for a roughly 5,106-square-foot facility to replace the vacant restaurant. The company described its proposal as a way to bring a modern design, landscaping and activity to the property, according to The MoCo Show’s report on the city’s approval.
The report says the city held a joint public hearing on March 17, 2025. The Gaithersburg Planning Commission recommended approval, and the Mayor and City Council approved the application on May 19, 2025, through Resolution R-29-25.
One Car Wash Swapped for Another, Not Added
The approved plan also shifts the existing car wash at the adjacent 10005 Fields Road property to the former Ziki site, rather than adding another car wash in the immediate area. The MoCo Show’s account of the approval put the new site about 100 feet from the existing operation.
How car-wash water must be handled
For commercial car washes, Montgomery County DEP's general guidance—not a project-specific permit condition—says businesses must direct wash water to the sanitary sewer or capture and contain it for proper off-site disposal, according to Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection.
No construction start date, completion date, or opening timetable has been made available for the new facility. What is confirmed is the scope of the permit itself: a new building of just over 5,100 square feet, replacing a property that had stood empty on Fields Road in Gaithersburg, Maryland, since Ziki Japanese Steakhouse closed its doors in 2020.
