Tesla proposed a 100,000-square-foot facility in St. Pete, Florida. The new Tesla center will handle sales, service, and deliveries in the area.
The new Tesla facility will be located on a 4.21-acre site with an existing 100,000 square foot building formerly known as a Kanes Furniture liquidation center. Pinellas County provided Teslarati with documents about the property and the new Tesla Center.
The documents reveal that the owner of Kanes Furniture LLC hired representative Truett Realty Group LLC to apply for a motor vehicle sales permit in February 2022. In April, the application received conditional approval from the Pinellas County Board of Adjustment and Appeals (BOAA), subject to site plan approval, permits, and fees.
The Lealman Community Development Area (CRA) seemed to support Tesla’s new center in the community. Jeremy Heath, Chairman of Lealman CRA, openly endorsed the Board’s approval to host Tesla’s vehicle sales center in the area.
“We believe that this type of business will continue to attract investment in Lealman and could potentially serve as a bedrock for future development within the Joe’s Creek Industrial Park,” Heath wrote in his letter. “The CRA is excited by what this could mean for job growth, revenue creation, attracting future investment, and frankly, facade improvements for those traveling along 34th St.”
In August 2021, Elon Musk pledged to expedite service center openings. Lately, Tesla’s customer facilities have become multi-function centers that provide repair and sales services.
However, Tesla sales services have been an issue since some states do not allow direct vehicle sales from car manufacturers. For instance, Tesla’s permit was revoked for a new service center in East Hartford, Connecticut, after Hoffman Auto Group raised concerns over direct-to-consumer sales laws. In Florida’s case, carmakers can sell products directly provided they have no franchised dealerships selling vehicles in the state.
Tesla to build 100,000 square foot facility in St. Pete, FL by Maria Merano on Scribd
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