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The Dunning Toyota dealership on Jackson Road in Scio Township plans to complete its expansion by next spring.
Joseph Tobianski | AnnArbor.com
Dunning Toyota is getting a $2.5 million facelift in an effort to add about 10,000 square feet to its Ann Arbor area facilities and become more environmentally friendly.
The renovations, submitted to the Scio Township Planning Commission, will add space in the service lounge and will attempt to gain LEED certification for the dealership.
“We’re really building the whole thing around the lounges,” general manager and vice president John Taylor said.
“Everything was built around customer contact points to do everything we could to make a better environment for our guest. We don’t want sitting in our lounge to feel like a dentist’s waiting room.”
Taylor said work on the dealership will start within the next month, possibly as soon as early November. The construction is scheduled to last through the winter and into early spring.
“Construction time will be a bit of a problem for us, so we’re going to have to do some specials,” he said.
“We don’t want to lose inventory because Toyota does everything by allocation so we don’t want to lose cars.”
Dunning is also adding a car wash in the renovation and adding room to its service center. The additions will lead to a loss of some parking spaces, but Taylor said he does not anticipate that being a problem once the construction is finished.
LEED certifications are offered to buildings that are either built to certain environmentally friendly standards or make improvements to existing buildings that incorporate more environmentally friendly practices. The certifications are given to buildings that use less energy and water and source the materials for their construction from sites as close as possible.
“We’re very excited about getting the LEED certification,” Taylor said.
“Everything is going to be more modern from the front through the back and we’re doing a lot extra to make sure it is considered LEED.”
The project will likely be certified with either LEED for Retail designation or LEED for Major Renovations.
Taylor said Bloom General Contracting is handling the renovations for Dunning.
Among other local auto dealership changes, Chelsea Chevrolet Buick is is renovating this winter and a new Fiat showroom was just approved on West Stadium.
Ben Freed covers business for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at 734-623-2528 or email him at benfreed@annarbor.com. Follow him on twitter @BFreedinA2
