The city’s second AutoZone, which is under construction at The Wells, is on pace for a January completion, a city official said.

The store’s framing and exterior walls are nearing completion, according to Maricopa Director of Development Services Rodolfo Lopez.

Jorge Rodriguez, AutoZone’s regional manager, citing company policy, declined to comment on the store’s progress or any potential opening timeline other than to confirm it is corporately owned, not franchised.

Construction of the store, at the northwestern corner of Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway and Porter Road, south of Alan Stephens Parkway, began without a new Planning & Zoning review after pre-application documents were submitted last November, according to Lopez.

He said plans were reviewed administratively because the overall site plan was previously approved, under a 2007 Site Plan Review. The site, already commercial, did not require rezoning.

A cross-parking agreement is in place among parcels in The Wells, and AutoZone’s preliminary plans call for 36 parking spaces, well above the city-mandated 25.

The city’s first Auto Zone, at 20886 N. John Wayne Pkwy., opened in 2005 in the Maricopa Fiesta center.

AutoZone is the leading retailer of automotive replacement parts and accessories in the U.S. with more than 5,900 stores.