The center, which once housed three businesses — Springdale Cleaners, Minuteman Press and Wise Guys Bar & Grill — will be demolished sometime in the next week, to allow construction to begin on the site, according to Tony Blaine, general manager of the dealership.
Kenwood Dealer Group has owned the site since July 2014 and will bring 4,914-square-foot building there, one that will house a small showroom, service bays for mechanical reconditioning and clean up bays used for car detailing, Blaine said.
The space will allow the business to expand its new car inventory, as well as its certified pre-owned inventory, he said.
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“All the dealerships on Route 4 perform well and we just saw it as an opportunity,” he said. “Volkswagen’s obviously had some rough times in the past 18 months with their diesel scandal and they’re going to come back to market and relaunch. We saw this as an opportunity before all that happened, but it just ties in perfectly with the relaunch of the VW brand.”
Construction costs are estimated at $1 million with work starting later this month and continuing until when the project opens in mid-September, Blaine said. The estimated total cost of the project is $1.5 million.
The building will visually tie into the existing VW showroom, utilizing the same color schedule and interior appointments and furnishings, he said.
"Fairfield has always been a great place for us to do business in," Blaine said. "The community has been great with us and we're just excited to be part of Fairfield."
Greg Kathman, the city’s development services director, said Fairfield officials are pleased to see the market-driven redevelopment project in the community.
“It speaks to the strength of the Route 4 business corridor that this property owner decided to make such a large investment here,” Kathman said. “The appearance of the community will be improved by the removal of the dated old building and the construction of a new modern facility.
Kenwood Dealer Group purchased the VW franchise and the property located at 6065 Dixie Highway in March 2001.
Tearing down the plaza also means erasing the presence of Wise Guys Bar & Grill, whose patrons ran afoul of the law on numerous occasions, including a March 2015 fight in the parking lot that ended in gunshots and the death of 55-year-old Vincent L. Brown Jr., of Cincinnati.
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