KILLEEN, Texas (KXXV) — Auto Masters Repair Shop, owned by Rickey Britt, is a family-run auto body shop in the heart of Killeen.
However, the ongoing construction on Gilmer Street has significantly impacted traffic flow, putting Britt’s business at risk.
With the construction almost a year in, Britt has seen a drastic decline in revenue — financial records KXXV reviewed showed the hard truth about the shop's sharp downturn.
January 2024 revenue for the shop came in at just over $74,000, still a sharp contrast to the $85,000-$95,000 2023 median average for Auto Masters, before construction began.
After several months of sharp declines, the shop's revenue crated below $24,000 for the month of November.
“People don’t want to mess with construction — we have people say that they’re coming, and they don’t ever show up, or they pull in and pull out, or they try to pull in and can’t and leave," Britt said.
"They get stuck in the maze leaving here and they don’t come back.
When asked how long his business can sustain the current situation...
“A month or two — another month or two," Britt said.
City Engineer Andrew Zagars acknowledged the challenges faced by businesses like Auto Masters and emphasized the city’s efforts to support them.
“There’s always a balance of what we can and can’t do, and we learn as we work with other businesses on every project," Zagars said.
"There are always better ways to notify people and to see what we can do better."
Despite claims of city support, a visit to the shop revealed no visable signage directing residents to Gilmer Street businesses, even with Britt being visited today from Killeen Mayor Pro Tem Jessica Gonzalez.
“I was told that they were going to put signs up, but nothing — and then, today I talked to them, and they said they were going to try and look at some plans, and see if it’s legal, you know they have to go by the legal way, to see if they can take a sign down to put a sign up.”
Britt fears that the city’s efforts may come too late.
“They say there’s another year — how am I supposed to keep afloat for another year, without any help, by adding more signs?" he said.
"I don’t think adding more signs will work, they said it might, I really don’t think it will."
