Wilmington’s first CARSTAR repair facility is scheduled to open next month on Carolina Beach Road.

The 11,500-square-feet auto facility at 3705 Carolina Beach Road was the former location of Gerber Collision and Glass.

CARSTAR is a network of independently owned car collision repair facilities in the U.S. There are nine CARSTAR locations in North Carolina.

Michael Black, the owner of the upcoming Wilmington franchise, leased the location from C Properties starting Aug. 1.

Real estate brokers David Branton and Nicholas Silivanch from Eastern Carolinas Commercial Real Estate were the brokers who worked on the lease.

Branton said Black signed a 10-year long-term lease and that the location was vacant for eight months before being leased.

Black was looking for a facility to open the franchise location, and Wilmington was one of his target markets, Branton said.

“It fits in line with that type of business,” Branton said. “There are a lot of other car businesses on that street, including car dealers … and there is heavy traffic.”

Black said he wanted to open a location in Wilmington because he sees it as a growing city.

“I chose Wilmington because it’s the No. 2 two growing place to live in America,” Black said, citing an Indeed website report. “That’s why they are putting up all those houses there, and it’s a wonderful place.”

Black was also drawn to the location because the building is already a repair shop, so he will not be building anything else on the facility.

The facility is undergoing some cosmetic repairs and it is slated to open on Oct. 1.

Black said employees have already been hired for the repair shop.