Tesla owners in London, Ontario will hopefully soon have their own Sales, Service, and Delivery Center, and if it comes to fruition it will be one of the largest in Canada. On Monday Tesla requested a property at 3234-3274 Wonderland Road South be rezoned to allow for an “automotive sales and service establishment.”
The proposal comes more than three years after Tesla was very close to taking over the former Porsche dealership in London, a deal which ended up falling apart at the final hour.
According to plans submitted at the Planning and Environment Committee (PEC) on Monday, Tesla is hoping to build a 50,780 square foot showroom on a currently vacant lot at the corner of Wonderland Road South and Bradley Avenue. The plans also call for 504 parking spaces, showing Tesla is expecting this to be a very busy location serving a large section of southwestern Ontario.
However members of the PEC expressed concern about the size of the parking lot, saying Tesla should consider changing the size and design, with one member suggesting the automaker incorporate solar canopies, along with more trees and plants. (via CTV News)
Appearing before the PEC was the first step, with members ultimately recommending approval of the zoning amendment. The proposal will now go before city council, who will make the final decision next week on September 26, 2023. If it is approved construction is scheduled to begin in the spring with a targeted opening date in 2025.
As we noted Tesla was very close to taking over a former dealership space in London in 2020. That deal fell through, and in the three years since then Tesla has been unable to find a suitable location in the area. Frustrated with a lack of progress, the company is now taking matters into their own hands with a purpose-built showroom, much like they did in Victoria, BC, opening the first purpose-built location in Canada this summer. Tesla is taking a similar approach in Kelowna, also submitting a proposal earlier this month to build their own showroom in the city after years of searching.
