New Harley-Davidson Showroom

The picture illustrated below is an early artistic impression of the dream Chester Harley-Davidson building as envisaged in 2004. This new dealership building, after a number frustrating delays has now been achieved. In fact the building we have today is in many ways quite close to this early artistic impression.

The new dealership building, which was completed in June 2007, replaced the old M53 Café on Stanney Mill Lane, Little Stanney, Chester, at Junction 10 of the M53 motorway. This early artistic impression and the architect’s conceptual drawings below of the building can now be compared with the actual building that we have today and although there have been changes, we have endeavoured to keep to our original ideas.

Chester Harley-Davidson’s new dealership building, which opened its’ doors on the 2nd June 2007. and, which is also on the same motorway junction as the Cheshire Oaks Retail Park and just 5 miles from the centre of Chester.

Chester Harley-Davidson started out very modestly in August 2004 with the opening of a Service only centre on an industrial estate just outside Ellesmere Port, early in 2005 with delays already starting to be experienced in getting the new dealership building underway, it was decided to convert the ground floor of the cottage next door on Stanney Mill lane into a temporary showroom. Below shows the industrial units in July 2004, which became the service and parts centre and the cottage before its conversion into a small showroom in February 2005.

The pictures below shows the inside of the service centre workshop and the small temporary showroom, from which Chester Harley-Davidson operated while the final plans and relevant permissions were put in place that cumulated in first demolishing the M53 Cafe in August 2006 and the commencement of the new dealership building in October 2006.

Below is a pictorial illustration of the development of the new dealership building , which opened its doors on 2nd June 2007. Also illustrated is our Open Weekend which took place on the 28-29 July 2007 and the launch of the new 2008 models in late August 2007. 

	The Day we opened the doors on the 2nd June 2007, Kirk Herbert, Dealer Principle is here handing over a new bike to Mohamed Khaleeq. The first bike to be sold from the new showroom.
	Front Entrances to the New Showroom from the Car Park
	This Photo shows the new and old showrooms down Stanney Mill Lane as they are at the moment. We have yet to develop ideas on how we will be developing the Cottage Showroom both short and long term.
	The New Showroom, workshop and parts main entrance from Stanney Mill Lane.
	The main entrance to Chester Harley-Davidson looking down Stanney Mill Lane to J10 on M53 Motorway at the end of the lane.
	Inside the New Showroom, looking across the showroom to the main entrance.
	Inside the Showroom looking into the clothing section with a vintage Harley in the foreground.
	Inside the New Showroom looking from Chris Shaw’s Sales Desk.
	Inside New Showroom looking towards the Admin Offices.
	Inside the New Showroom looking towards the main counter from Keith Blurton’s Sales Desk.
	The Workshop move from the Service Centre in Ellesmere Port underway in May 2007. Servicing continued to be undertaken during the move.
	Inside the Workshop today in August 2007.
The Old M53 Cafe was demolished in August 2006 in preparation for the construction of the new dealership building, which commenced in October 2006. We still serve food and drinks from a Catering Trailer situated in our car park.
	Inside the Catering Trailer, Pam, on the phone and her daughter Sam, who have both moved from the old M53 Cafe to preparing food in the catering trailer.
The Portacabins that temporarily served as the cafe and were situated alone the canal bank at the bottom of the car park will be removed shortly and the canal bank will be landscaped to include a decked out area with seating.
	The Portacabins and Catering Trailer that kept the cafe going following the demolition of the M53 Cafe in August 2006. The Catering trailer is now on the Dealership Car Park and the old Portacabins have served their purpose and are due to be moved in September 2007.
The first floor of the new dealership building is yet to be developed, but it is envisaged that this will primarily consist of more showroom space and a new Cafe. A HOG area is also planned upstairs. Plans are currently been drawn up and the relevant planning applications will be made to the local authority in due course.
	The First Floor ready to be developed. It is planned to develop this floor into a Used motorbike showroom with a Café. It should be operational during 2009.

Our New Dealership Open weekend was on the 28/29th of August and was brilliantly attended, the weather was kind and the bands played superbly, it turned out to be a great weekend.  What follows is a pictorial history of the new dealership build from the beginning to the Open Weekend.