Auto dealer's $5 million expansion underway in Decatur
Jan. 27—Construction has started on Champion of Decatur's $5 million expansion for its Jeep line, and the Planning Commission chairman says the project will benefit the city financially.
The city issued a building permit last week for the project at 3831 U.S. 31 S. that Champion of Decatur General Manager Kevin Allison said will create an almost 30,000-square-foot facility. It will include a showroom and service department for Jeep vehicles, and he hopes construction is finished by early November.
The new space will be north of Champion's existing Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram facility, which is on the west side of U.S. 31. The expansion will be south of the Morgan County Health Department.
Champion of Decatur annexed its 7.1 acres into Decatur a year ago partially to get sewer access. The City Council approved extending sewer from the east side of 31 to the west side in February and paying the estimated cost of $300,000 to $350,000.
Planning Commission Chairman Kent Lawrence said Champion's expansion "means revenue. They came into the city so they could get the sewer. So now we'll get the (additional) city sales tax."
Champion was generating a 0.5% sales tax for the city on cars it sold when it was just outside the city in the police jurisdiction. The tax revenue doubled to 1% with its entrance into the city.
Allison said the sewer hasn't been extended yet. The extension will require a bore under 31, according to Decatur Utilities spokesman Joe Holmes. Pugh Wright McAnally is handling the project.
Allison said the dealership will add at least 20 employees in the service, parts, accounting and sales departments as part of the expansion. The dealership owned by Jeff Hamm of Athens currently has about 40 employees.
The dealership sells Chrysler, Dodge, Ram and Jeep at its existing Decatur location. Allison said it needed more space for Jeep sales because there are more models in that line "than there ever have been before." He said the dealership sold about 400 Jeep vehicles last year.
"It's a great market for Jeeps," Allison said.
He said there will be several benefits to having the new space exclusively for Jeep.
"We're going to have an open showroom that we can actually park vehicles in and display a good assortment of vehicles in. If it's raining or bad weather outside, we can still show them inside," he said.
"And then we're going to have a delivery area that we could actually have a presentation underneath a covered porch to show them their new vehicle. ... The service department is going to be heated and cooled, which is huge. Our mechanics are going to be in a full thermostat area. So if it's hot outside, they're going to be cool. If it's cold outside, they're going to be warm."
He said the existing showroom and service department will continue to operate after the expansion is completed.
—brucem@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2431. Twitter @BruceMcLellan1
