The owners of City South Auto Body, of Spokane, are expanding that business here and also plan to open a mechanical shop later at the same location.

The two partners, Dave McGillivray and John James, are working to open what McGillivray calls a "heavy hit" center at the business, located at 3014 E. 55th, McGillivray says. That, he says, will entail adding about 5,000 square feet of collision repair space to the about 13,000 square feet the business currently is occupying in the building, which formerly was an indoor youth sports center. Currently, that new space is being remodeled, and the "heavy hit" center will open around Aug. 1, McGillivray says.

In the heavy hit center, vehicles that have been badly damaged in crashes will be disassembled and will stay on the floor in pieces while the repair shop awaits insurance decisions or parts to repair them. That will free up the rest of the shop's space for other repair jobs that take less space and time, he says.

Within about the next year, the company also plans to open at the same location a mechanical shop that would operate as a separate business. That shop would do work such as brake repairs, front-end suspension repairs, and minor tune-ups, McGillivray says.

The partners have hired three new employees since January, and expect to hire up to seven more over the next year, McGillivray says. Currently, about 10 people are employed at City South, he says.

City South is leasing the 23,000-square-foot building from Dexter Farley, who bought the structure in 2002 and opened City South Auto Body there. McGillivray and James, who each had worked at City South, bought the business earlier this year from Farley, McGillivray says. Farley continues to operate two other City Auto Body outlets here, but McGillivray and James have purchased the name City South Auto Body.