Kurt Manley may be too busy managing his eight children to be a classic car enthusiast, but that doesn't mean the developer can't provide a boon to other classic car collectors in the community.

That's the idea behind Manley's soon-to-be constructed Eagan Car Club, a $4.3 million project slated to break ground along Hwy. 3 in Eagan this spring. The planned six-acre facility would include as many as 76 garage units and a clubhouse capable of hosting events.

The car club is more than just a storage facility for classic automobiles, Manley explained. Rather than renting space, club members pay anywhere from $30,000 to $100,000 to purchase a space, depending on the size of the unit. The units, which range in size, will have air conditioning, electricity, running water and other amenities for buyers, and can be customized or modified.

While the tenants are prohibited from staying overnight at the facility, they are encouraged to set up offices, workshops or maintenance areas for vehicles, Manley said.

The clubhouse will have big-screen TVs, a fireplace, kitchen and plenty of seating, and could be used to accommodate events or fundraisers, Manley said. Only club members who own a garage stall in the facility would be able to access the clubhouse.

Manley, who has developed dozens of office, retail and residential projects in the area, said the idea for the car club came out of conversations with friends who were looking for a place to store their cars, boats or snowmobiles.

The development would eventually include seven buildings and an eight-foot-tall perimeter fence—all located on a currently undeveloped site directly south of Captain Dodd Park in Eagan.

The Eagan Advisory Planning Commission voted 5-0 to recommend approval of the project after a public hearing on March 27. During the hearing, nearby residents voiced concerns about lighting and noise that the proposed facility would generate.

After tabling action during its April 3 meeting so Manley could work out concerns with nearby residents, the Eagan City Council unanimously approved rezoning and final platting for the site on Tuesday during a regular meeting at City Hall.

Development will start in May, and the car club's first units will be complete by August, Manley said.

"It’s just a step above a renting a regular unit or a standard storage space," Manley said.