Kelowna may soon have its own Tesla dealership and service center.
Tesla is set to grant the wishes of its loyal customers residing in the interior of British Columbia by establishing a much-anticipated Sales, Service, and Delivery Center. The company has recently submitted a development permit application for the construction of a 30,000 square foot facility in Kelowna.
This endeavour has been in the works since at least 2021, as Tesla has been actively seeking to expand its presence within the BC Interior. Initially, the company explored the possibility of taking over an existing dealership location, with negotiations nearly finalized in late 2021 to acquire the Kelowna Hyundai dealership at 3260 Hwy 97 N. Unfortunately, these negotiations fell through, mirroring a similar situation where Tesla was on the verge of securing a former Volvo dealership on Vancouver Island. This ultimately led to Tesla’s decision to construct their first purpose-built location in Canada, which recently opened its doors.
After years of searching for a suitable alternative, Tesla has opted for a similar strategy in Kelowna, where they plan to build a 30,000 square foot Sales, Service, and Delivery Center. The development permit application reveals that this Tesla facility, as reported by Castanet, will be situated on a 3.49-acre parcel within the Airport Business Park at 3425 Circuit Rd.
“We are confident the proposed form of development will set a new level of industrial standard for the neighbourhood,” Urban Design Group Architects wrote in its development permit application, adding it “will function well for land use, parking and tenant operations, and provide employment-generating opportunities to the city.”
The permit application is still in its initial stages and no date has been scheduled for when it will be heard by city council.