Lamborghini plans Calgary dealership opening this year at super sports car centre P
CALGARY - Lamborghini, one of the most luxurious sports cars in the world, is expected to open a dealership in Calgary by the end of this year as part of a group of other high-end auto sellers in a super sports car centre.
The Herald has learned that Lamborghini will find a home - along with Ferrari/Maserati, Porsche and other luxury auto dealers- at the Meadows Mile project at the corner of Heritage Drive S.W. and Blackfoot Trail.
Asgar Virji, owner of Lamborghini Vancouver, confirmed the company plans to build a dealership at the site with construction to begin in the next 30 to 40 days.
“We should be up and running by the end of the year,” said Virji.
The dealership will be about 17,500 square feet, selling the luxury vehicles which range in price from $260,000 to $550,000.
“We orchestrated a long time ago to try and work with the developer to create a super sports car venue,” said Virji.
“It’s something that’s been in the works for four years . . . We’ve been coming to the (Calgary) car show for six years and we’ve been remotely managing our customers and service and all that stuff for many years to try and build market confidence. As Calgary’s economy also changes and the city grows up, one of the difficulties is in the past we just didn’t have enough product from Lamborghini to set up shop . . . They also recognize Calgary as an important market . . . There’s viability here with some legs.”
The 27-acre parcel of land at Meadows Mile is 80 per cent sold out.
Jaydean Boldt, director of development and planning for Meadows Mile, said the project will include up to six or seven high-end auto dealers, a Holiday Inn as well as a premium boutique longer-stay hotel, and retail, restaurant and office space.
“It’s the follow-up project to the runaway success of Deerfoot Meadows,” said Boldt. “This is going to be a premium shopping experience that’s going to be catered to high-end vehicles . . . All these brands are going to be quite the statement for the affluence of Calgary to some degree. There is also a few available land development opportunities for sale.
The developer is Focus Equities, owned by entrepreneur Ken Mariash.
He said the name of the project combines the past success of the Calgary Flames and the Red Mile and the success of the Deerfoot Meadows project, which is situated just east of the Meadows Mile up on the hill.
“There’s lots of life in that part of the world and hopefully up there with the exciting car part we can add two or three restaurants. That would be perfect,” said Mariash.
Carlo Galasso, dealer principal of Ferrari Maserati of Alberta, said he’s hoping the dealership will be open in 15 to 20 months.
“We’re trying to create more of a community gathering place for auto enthusiasts,” said Galasso of the four-storey, 50,000-square-foot building that will cost $15-20 million. “More like a museum than a dealership.”
He also said a “mystery brand” is part of the project.
Craig Shostak, who with his brother Doug owns several dealerships in Calgary, said they are hoping to open a Porsche dealership at that location by July of next year. It will be about 30,000 to 36,000 square feet.
“It’s one of the few areas of the city that’s actually zoned for automotive,” he said. “We outgrew the site that we’re on now on Macleod Trail and options in the city where to build a car dealership are few and far between. It’s a central location.”
Shostak said he’s not sure what will happen to the existing Porsche dealership building on Macleod Trail.
He said it was “purely accidental” that the dealership is moving to a location that will house other high-end auto sellers but the synergy of having them together will definitely help exposure and sales.
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