Deacon's Chrysler Jeep Looking for Room to Grow

is planning a $2.5 million renovation project that will almost double its showroom size and add the Dodge and Ram product lines.

The expansion will require rezoning of two residential properties that would be used to store cars. James W. Deacon, company president, said the land was purchased by his family 20 years ago in hopes the business might grow. There is a house on one of the lots.

If approved by officials, the rezoning must then be presented to voters. The deadline for submission to the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections is 60 days prior to the Nov. 8 election.

The expansion project would keep a 6,160-square-foot service department building and a new, 12,574-square-foot addition that would serve primarily as showroom space. Deacon said the new building would be set back further from SOM Center Road and will have a much nicer appearance.

"It's really going to beautify the City Center," he said.

However, he said the project can't be done without the rezoning.

"It doesn't make good business sense," Deacon said.

Chrysler wants the dealership to have a certain number of cars in stock and the only other choice would be storage at an off-site facility.

"It's not business friendly to drive a customer down the road to look at the cars," Deacon said. "If we don't have the car there and they have to go three miles down the road, they might end up going to a dealer in Bedford or somewhere else."

Deacon said Chrysler has wanted the dealership to expand since it added the Jeep line in August 2006.

"They gave us a term in the agreement that we had to upgrade the facility," he said.

He added that it would be difficult to move to another site because of franchise laws restricting how close dealerships can be to each other.

Deacon said he wants to work with village residents and if they have questions they can call the dealership at 440-442-0424 or send him e-mail at jdeacon@deaconchrysler.com.