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Toyota of Poway to open Monday at new location

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Toyota of Poway owner Vincent Castro says that if everything goes as planned, his new location at Poway and Midland roads will be open for business on Monday.

Between now and then about 350 new and used cars will be driven from the old dealership across the road, Castro said. He said he has plenty of helpers standing by to accomplish the move smoothly.

The new and used cars and trucks will be parked around the three completely renovated buildings that make up the new facility. Castro said Monday he has spent about $16 million in property acquisition and construction costs.

Castro said the new site will open with about 105 employees and that he expects to hire a few more by summer. A grand opening will be held sometime in March, he said.

His company, Pinnacle Realty of California, purchased two of the three buildings. The one that will be used for new car sales was once a Dodge/Jeep dealership. A service and collision center is being housed in a former auto repair center.

A third building, once the home of a Chrysler dealership, has been leased from the city and will be used for new Scion sales and used car sales. Over the course of the 12-year lease, the dealership must generate an additional $3 million in net sales tax revenues. The dealer’s sales tax production will be credited on an annual basis toward the eventual purchase price of the land.

The Toyota move has been in the works for nearly three years. The existing dealership, at 13750 and 13760 Poway Road, will be razed, along with a neighboring building once used as a Chevrolet dealership. The combined properties have been purchased by the Lowe’s home improvement chain, which plans to construct a 121,000-square-foot store, a 31,658-square-foot garden center and a 4,500-square-foot separate business pad on the 11 acres. Construction is expected to take about 16 months once Lowe’s announces a start date.

Castro said he plans to continue to lease a portion of the old Chevrolet site for employee parking until the building is razed.

In related automotive news, Jerry Richardson has closed his GMC dealership at 13811 Poway Road and has sold the property to Mark Abelkop, who owns the Mitsubishi, Hyundai and new Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep/Ram dealerships, all on Poway Road.

Richardson had the GMC dealership for many years before selling it in 2006 to Greiner Buick Pontiac GMC. He took the business back in June 2011.

Abelkop said he plans to reopen the property as a new car dealership and is in negotiations with an unnamed auto maker.

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