Left with just one Colorado Springs office after closing a location at the Southgate shopping center several years ago, AAA Colorado wanted to find a new spot that would be more accessible for all of its Pikes Peak area members.

The auto club found what it was looking for at 7330 N. Academy Blvd. and will celebrate Friday and Saturday with a grand opening event that will include door prizes, free vehicle battery checks and discounted memberships.

“It’s a much larger office, much more modern and offers the ability for our members to reach it more easily,” AAA Colorado spokeswoman Wave Dreher said.

AAA Colorado had two locations in Colorado Springs: one at Southgate and the other on North Carefree Circle just east of Academy Boulevard. The Southgate office was closed about six years ago, she said. About a year ago, AAA Colorado began looking for a new, more convenient location for its 37,000 member households in the Colorado Springs area.

“We knew that with having just one store in town, it was very 
important to have the best access we could,” Dreher said Tuesday. “We moved a little further north, but we got better access to I-25.”

The new location, which had a soft opening in July, includes free Internet access, a free coffee bar and more room for customers to meet with AAA’s insurance, travel and 
auto-buying agents. Dreher said there is also better display of AAA’s maps and tour books.

Lisa Tessarowicz