THUNDER BAY — The Kia dealership in Thunder Bay is expanding at a new location.
Performance Kia will move sometime next year from its current site on 13th Avenue and Memorial Avenue to Central Avenue, near the Innova Business Park.
Work on the new building is underway.
Dealer principal Kevin French says the project has been in the planning stages for awhile.
"We acquired a property at 1150 Central Avenue in late 2021. Because of supply and demand issues, we looked at the project finishing hopefully in the late summer 2023."
French said there are two main reasons for the move, but both relate to a need for more space.
"Currently we're working with six bays for our mechanics, and we're going to double that to 12. The next purpose is that we need parking, and the new facility will accommodate over 200 parking spots."
He said the new site will also provide better access for customers, and make it more convenient for trucks coming off the Thunder Bay Expressway to make deliveries to the dealership.
French described the new building as state-of-the-art, and one of the first of its kind for Kia dealerships in Canada.
"We're really excited about it. It's a bit longer than we would have hoped, but the end result will be a good one."
The total investment in the project is nearly $10 million.
Performance Kia is the only Kia dealership in Northwestern Ontario.
