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Four new-car franchises owned by Des Moines mega-dealer Charles Gabus will be consolidated into a multi-line car store in a $7-million building under construction in Grimes. The new building, set to open August 2008, will include a showroom for each new-car line — Kia, Mitsubishi, Saab and Suzuki — along with service and parts departments and used car sales, said Sean Sellers, general manager of Kia of Des Moines.
The new location will provide needed space for the growing dealerships, and will sit at a high-traffic intersection in a fast-growing part of the metro area, Sellers said. “It’s exciting,” he added. The site is along Iowa Highway 141 at N.W. 54th Ave. in Grimes. The new dealership will include: • Kia of Des Moines, currently a free-standing dealership at 4515 Merle Hay Road, Des Moines. • Des Moines Mitsubishi, currently at 9060 Hickman Road, Clive.
• Saab of Des Moines, currently at the same location as the Mitsubishi store. • Des Moines Suzuki, currently part of Des Moines Chrysler Suzuki at 4410 Merle Hay Road, Des Moines. Chrysler will remain at the Merle Hay location. Charles Gabus Ford will remain on Merle Hay Road in Des Moines. The combined dealership will include an expanded work force of up to 110 people, compared to the current 85 at separate locations, Sellers said.
Sellers said the Kia dealership was outgrowing its current location. The new 35-acre site was one of the few locations in the area that combined enough space, proper zoning and good visibility because of a large daily traffic count, Sellers said. “It’s an extremely busy location,” he said. A 2004 traffic count showed that 32,000 cars pass by the site daily on Highway 141, and 86,000 use a section of Interstate Highway 35/80, less than a mile away, Sellers said.