Luxury dealers signed for upscale auto mall
Luxury auto dealers added some flash to the future home of the Meadows Mile auto mall Friday when they showed off several high-end vehicles to clients.
Four dealerships — representing Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, Lotus, Porsche and Rolls-Royce, among other automakers — have already committed to the site at Blackfoot Trail and Heritage Drive S.E.
“To have these brands clustered within walking distance of each other is entirely unique and allows for synergies between the brands,” said Jaydean Boldt, director of devel- opment and planning for Meadows Mile.
Ken Mariash, developer and owner of Focus Equities, the company behind the project, said the arrival of ultra-luxury nameplates in Calgary is a show of confidence in the city’s economy.
The project is to include restaurants, automotive and personal services, retail and office space and a hotel.
“Many people in town have started to buy these (vehicles),” said Mariash. “And enjoy their success. They’ll have various choices ... Everything you can imagine in that luxury space.”
Construction of the Meadows Mile auto mall is to be completed by spring 2016. More than 80 per cent of the 11-hectare site has been sold.
“As the oil and gas sector continues to flourish so does the luxury sector — in Canada our stores are up 23 per cent as of the end of August,” said Tony Dilawri, of the Dilawri Automotive Group. Calgary sales are up 32 per cent from this time last year, he said.
Dilawri confirmed the MINI Crowfoot store will move to the Meadows Mile location with construction of a new dealership to start around March.