Hollister
– Construction crews were busy Thursday morning pouring concrete
into the foundation of a San Felipe Road building that will soon
house Hollister’s Honda Powerhouse dealership.
Hollister – Construction crews were busy Thursday morning pouring concrete into the foundation of a San Felipe Road building that will soon house Hollister’s Honda Powerhouse dealership.
Bill Avera, director of development services for the Hollister Redevelopment Agency, said the building will be an excellent addition to the city’s north gateway and may serve as an anchor for future development.
“It should be a nice, first-class facility,” Avera said. “And that’s what we need.”
Avera said the former site of Good Times Bowl had fiscal and physical blight.
City Councilmember Doug Emerson said the Powerhouse’s tax revenue will not increase the city’s $4 million tax base much, but will have “secondary effects that are really hard to measure.”
“The side effect is people are going to be coming into Hollister and spending money,” Emerson said.
In addition to outside money, the jobs the facility provides will create extra incomes in the county, Emerson said.
The City Council voted in April to loan Marty Greenwood, Mike Greenwood and Dave Galtman $1.5 million to renovate the former bowling alley to suit a service center and display floor for an array of Honda off-road vehicles, water vehicles and even power equipment.
The project has the support of city planners, leaders and the Hollister Redevelopment Agency. Planners had been looking for a suitable project for the 43-year-old building.
The $1.5 million is non-forgivable, has a six-month deferment period from the end of construction and runs an interest rate of six percent for the first three years, Avera said. Under the conditions of the loan’s interest break, the Powerhouse must generate an average of $3 million in total revenues per year for the first three years, Avera said.
If the Powerhouse achieves those marks, the interest rate will be dropped to three percent and will remain in place if average revenues stay above $5 million for the fourth and fifth years after project completion, Avera said.
Loan conditions also include job creation targets, Avera said. Marty Greenwood, a project partner, said the Powerhouse will create 15 full-time jobs.
“As we grow the business we hope that that grows,” Greenwood said.
The owners are confident the Powerhouse will see success. Greenwood said the partners’ research shows Honda has a large market share and customers are willing to drive up to 150 miles to purchase an off-road vehicle.
The new dealership will be one of only two level five Honda Powerhouse dealerships in the state, Greenwood said. Such dealerships offer full service and the largest range of Honda products.
The closest level five Honda Powerhouse dealership is in Huntington Beach, Calif.
“We’re the only other real one in California,” Galtman said. “And we’re twice the size of the one down in Huntington.”
The renovation of the building has utilized local labor, supplies and planners, said David Huboi, of Huboi Architecture and the designer of the building’s renovation.
“The owners were adamant from the beginning about using local people,” Huboi said.
The project falls in line with Huboi’s vision of green development. Using local supplies and labor cuts fuel usage and keeps dollars local, Huboi said.
“Local involvement makes this process special in that it promotes a project by and for the community,” Huboi said.
The design process has seen some kinks along the way. The foundation in the rear of the building, lower than the adjoining pavement, has created the need for some “creative draining solutions,” Huboi said. A French drain will line the north end of the building. The building also had corrosion on the pipe columns that form structural support for its trusses, Huboi said.
“There are a lot of components of this building that I think are worth saving,” Huboi said. “It’s got good bones.” said.
Once completed, the building will have a sleek and modern look, Huboi said. A steel frame canopy will extend the front of the building’s exterior, creating a taller look. The glass front of the building will highlight its showroom floor and allow for natural lighting. Huboi has taken seismic safety into consideration as well, he said.
“It’s basically taking the factory’s vision and running with it,” Greenwood said.
The Powerhouse project is one of two recent redevelopment projects to line the north gateway along San Felipe Road. County Property Exchange’s 21,571-square-foot San Felipe Office Park redevelopment was completed this fall. The addition of the 19,000-square-foot Powerhouse has been welcomed by the development community.
“We’re thankful for all the community leaders that supported the project,” Greenwood said.
Michael Van Cassell covers public safety for the Free Lance. He can be reached at 831-637-5566 ext. 335 or
mv*********@fr***********.com
.
