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Sam Penrod reportingMotorcycle enthusiasts will soon get a taste of history at a new store in Utah County. The local Harley-Davidson dealership is moving to a new building that's mostly old.
This new Harley-Davidson motorcycle dealership is located right across the street from where Geneva Steel was, and the building is made up of a lot of old scrap from Geneva -- a way to preserve history and give this building a very unique look.
On the outside, the dealership looks old and rusty, and that's exactly what the owner had in mind. "It began as a way to save Utah's industrial history and combine the great American motorcycle with great American history," said Harley dealer Dave Tuomisto.
This is the first environmentally-friendly building approved by Harley-Davidson for a dealership. More than 70 percent of the building's materials have been salvaged from old buildings, including a majority from Geneva Steel and old Utah bridges and train stations.
"The newest truss in this building was made in 1903. The oldest truss in the building is from the 1870s, and so when you come in here you can feel that early-American industrial history and feel it with the acoustics," Tuomisto said.
While most of the materials are used, this is not saving money. In fact, it is costing much more to make sure the materials were safe to use in new construction. "I didn't want to faux everything and make it look old, I want it to be the genuine real deal, and so a kid can reach up and touch a column and feel those hot metal rivets and feel a building over 100 years old," Tuomisto said.
Soon some brand new chrome motorcycles will be for sale next to the old materials of the building, which the owner is banking on will expand the business. "When I bought the dealership, Utah County had the lowest market share of Harley-Davidson of any area in the entire United States because of the stigma you had to be a rebel to have a Harley. And since we've had the dealership, we've doubled our market share," Tuomisto said.
With a price tag of nearly $16 million, this building is designed to be much more than a motorcycle store and shop. It's designed to be a Harley-Davidson experience. It will include a restaurant, rider's lounges, even a concert venue. It all opens in two weeks, and a big grand opening is scheduled for July 25.
E-mail: spenrod@ksl.com
