(Carl Cronan is editor of Real Estate Florida.)
KISSIMMEE, FL-A local Chrysler dealership has agreed to sell its property to its next-door neighbor. Starling Chrysler Jeep & Dodge agreed to the $5.6-million sale to the Osceola County Sheriff's Office earlier this week, days ahead of the automaker's Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing Thursday.
Osceola County commissioners approved the purchase Monday to buy the eight-acre site and 40,000-square-foot building, including equipment, along US 192 for use as a fleet facility for the sheriff's office. The deal, set to close in the coming month, is priced below the dealership's appraised value of $6.5 million.
"The purchase of this property is a great savings to the taxpayer," says Osceola County Chairman John Quinones. He notes that the dealership satisfies the sheriff's department's need for a larger facility to park and service deputy patrol cars and other vehicles.
The facility also avoids the need for new construction, adds Ray Icaza, general manager of Starling Chrysler. "This is a win-win situation for everyone involved," he says.
Auto dealer Alan Starling resigned his franchise agreement with Chrysler in February and kept the service department open. "My goal was to not have anyone lose a job, so we kept a presence there," Starling told the Orlando Business Journal.
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