Corwin Auto plans move to north Springfield

Jeff McConville

Corwin Automotive Group will be moving its operations on Sunshine Street to north Springfield in 2021.

In early December, the dealership group purchased 25 acres off of East Kearney Street and U.S. Highway 65 for an undisclosed amount, said Jeff McConville, operating partner for Corwin Automotive of Springfield. The group plans to break ground on itsnew facility in the next few months, he said, declining to disclose project costs. 

The planned development at 3300 E. Kearney St. would house the dealership group’s Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram and Fiat fleets currently at 1025 W. Sunshine St.

“We have completely outgrown our facility on Sunshine,” McConville said, noting the new location will be approximately 60,000 square feet – double the Sunshine Street operation.

McConville said the group is expecting to wrap up construction by summer 2021. Fargo, North Dakota-based Olaf Anderson Construction is signed on as general contractor for the project, and the design firm is BRP Architects in Springfield. He said there is no lender for the project.

McConville said the move also would allow the group to consolidate its service facilities. The dealership group currently services vehicles at the Sunshine dealership and at a service center down the street at 3240 W. Sunshine St. The group also reconditions its preowned cars at the Corwin Ford of Springfield location at 3241 S. Glenstone Ave., the longtime home of Friendly Ford, which Corwin Automotive bought in 2017. McConville said Corwin Ford will remain on Glenstone Avenue.

The automotive company, based in Fargo, first entered the Springfield market in 2012 through the purchase of local dealership Central Dodge, according to past Springfield Business Journal reporting.

The planned dealership is adjacent to acreage ICT II LLC was planning for an industrial park in 2018. Lee McLean, a senior adviser with SVN/Rankin Co. and ICT II’s real estate representative, said in an email that ICT II sold the property in February to SFC Real Estate LLC. The new owners currently are evaluating 33 acres for industrial use, he said. Officials with the development group could not be reached by deadline.

Corwin Automotive’s planned move comes months after Napleton Autowerks/Missouri Inc. relocated its dealership to U.S. Highway 65 frontage from South Campbell Avenue, according to past SBJ reports.