LAKELAND
Fun Bike Center wants to be known as the eastern entrance of Lakeland. The 13,000-square-foot store at 1845 E. Memorial Blvd. might not look that impressive right now but its new 50,000-square-foot facility might change your mind.
Construction is scheduled to begin July 1 by Rodda Construction. Projected costs for the project are between $5 million and $10 million.
"We want this to be an experience for the motorcycle, ATV and personal watercraft enthusiast," said Dan Dorsch, president and owner of Fun Bike Center. "It will be bigger than any car dealership in town."
Dorsch likened the new facility to the Bass Pro Shops store in Orlando.
The building will have a 20,000-square-foot service center, a 4,000-square-foot tire store, a training center with a motorcycle safety school and a 26,000-square-foot showroom with about 600 vehicles.
And that's just on the inside.
The store will have a parklike atmosphere outside, complete with large shady trees, grassy lawns and picnic tables.
"We want this to be interactive," he said. "We want this to be a place where people can come and park their motorcycle and enjoy the day. We are looking for more than just a cold shop."
At seven or eight similar sites in the country the average customer spends about an hour and a half shopping, Dorsch said. But this will be the first in the state of its kind.
"When we do something, we do it really big," he said.
Once the building is complete in December, the old building will be razed to create more room for the park area.
By Jeremy Maready
Published Saturday May 20th 2006
Article Reference: http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.d.../1001/BUSINESS
Fun Bike Center wants to be known as the eastern entrance of Lakeland. The 13,000-square-foot store at 1845 E. Memorial Blvd. might not look that impressive right now but its new 50,000-square-foot facility might change your mind.
Construction is scheduled to begin July 1 by Rodda Construction. Projected costs for the project are between $5 million and $10 million.
"We want this to be an experience for the motorcycle, ATV and personal watercraft enthusiast," said Dan Dorsch, president and owner of Fun Bike Center. "It will be bigger than any car dealership in town."
Dorsch likened the new facility to the Bass Pro Shops store in Orlando.
The building will have a 20,000-square-foot service center, a 4,000-square-foot tire store, a training center with a motorcycle safety school and a 26,000-square-foot showroom with about 600 vehicles.
And that's just on the inside.
The store will have a parklike atmosphere outside, complete with large shady trees, grassy lawns and picnic tables.
"We want this to be interactive," he said. "We want this to be a place where people can come and park their motorcycle and enjoy the day. We are looking for more than just a cold shop."
At seven or eight similar sites in the country the average customer spends about an hour and a half shopping, Dorsch said. But this will be the first in the state of its kind.
"When we do something, we do it really big," he said.
Once the building is complete in December, the old building will be razed to create more room for the park area.
By Jeremy Maready
Published Saturday May 20th 2006
Article Reference: http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.d.../1001/BUSINESS
