HJB Construction Inc. has pulled a $1.77 million commercial permit to gut and renovate an existing building at 907 E Main St in Westminster for a new AutoZone retail store. The permit, issued September 28, marks one of the larger commercial alteration projects filed recently in Oconee County and signals fresh retail investment in the small upstate community.
What the Permits Show
Permit BC26-000091 covers the interior renovation of an existing commercial building to convert it into an AutoZone auto-parts store. The scope of work is classified as a commercial alteration, with a stated valuation of $1,769,194. HJB Construction Inc. is listed as the contractor on the project. The permit does not identify a property owner by business name.
The project site sits along East Main Street, Westminster's primary commercial corridor through the center of town. Rather than a ground-up build, the permit describes an interior renovation of a structure already in place — a common approach for national retailers entering smaller markets where existing square footage can be adapted more quickly and at lower cost than new construction.
Why It Matters
Westminster, population roughly 2,700, sits in the western corner of Oconee County near the South Carolina–Georgia border. A nearly $1.8 million commercial renovation for a national chain like AutoZone represents a meaningful capital commitment in a market of that size. Auto-parts retailers tend to select locations based on vehicle density and drive-time data, so the investment suggests the store's trade area likely extends well beyond Westminster's town limits into surrounding rural communities. The project also adds to a pattern of national retailers adapting older commercial space along small-town main streets, rather than building from the ground up — a trend that can help fill vacant storefronts while keeping construction timelines shorter. For Oconee County's commercial building pipeline, the permit is among the higher-value alteration filings in recent months.