Lithia to refurbish vacant buildings

Lithia Motors has submitted plans to the City of Reno for a new location.

“Lithia will be moving it’s Reno Chrysler-Jeep and Reno VW stores to the corner of Plumb and Kietzke,” Eric Iversen, AICP director of real estate for Lithia Motors, Inc. said in an email with NNBW.

The Reno Chrysler-Jeep dealership is currently located at 3223 Mill Street and the Reno Volkswagen dealership is at 7063 S. Virginia St. Lithia Motors has been leasing both of these locations and Iverson expects the landlords will seek out new tenants for both buildings.

“Lithia Subaru of Reno and Lithia Hyundai of Reno are staying at their current locations,” Iversen said.

Lithia Motors is based out of Medford, Ore. and currently operates Volkswagen, Hyundai, Subaru and Chrysler-Jeep dealerships in Reno.

“We had been looking for potential locations throughout Reno for a few years as our current leases were going to be running out,” Iversen said.

Iverson went on to explain, that the conditional use permit plans have been submitted to the City of Reno.

The main building and gas station on the corner of Plumb and Kietzke have been vacant for some time. The 100,000-square-foot vacant building was formerly a Sak’N Save Food Store and Furniture 4 Less, which closed a couple years ago.

Prutch explained that the open A&W restaurant will remain, but the closed gas station on the corner of Harvard and Plumb will go away.

Joe Prutch, senior planner for the City of Reno confirmed earlier this month in a phone interview with NNBW that the city had an application for the project.

“The plan is to get it to the planning commission on Oct. 5 for recommending for approval,” Prutch said.

“They are repurposing the vacant building,” Prutch said. “They will basically give it a facelift.”

Access from Plumb, Kietzke and Harvard will all remain.

“We are currently leasing the property with an option to buy at the end of the term,” Iversen said.

They have not received bids for the work to remodel the 100,000 square foot building, but anticipate a substantial investment in the 10-acre property.

Prutch mentioned landscaping, sales offices, storage for vehicles and a service station as part of the improvements to the blighted corner.