A Vancouver-based West Coast auto dealership business has purchased the Kmart store site in Vancouver for $3 million.
The buyer, KEIRE LLC, is an entity of Kuni Enterprises Inc., which operates dealerships in four states including Washington, Oregon, California and Colorado. The company has maintained its corporate offices in Vancouver since 2004.
Kuni officials could not be reached for comment Wednesday on plans for the 10-acre site off state Highway 500 at 2711 N.E. Andresen Road. The location is not far from a cluster of Clark County’s largest auto dealers including Vancouver Ford and the Dick Hannah Auto Mall.
The 35-year-old Kmart store is closing Feb. 14, due to sluggish sales, officials from its Illinois-based owner, Sears Holding Corp., announced in November. The store has been running going-out-of-business ads since then.
? Previously: Kuni Enterprises moved its business offices from Portland to Vancouver in 2004.
? What’s new: The auto dealership business has purchased the Vancouver Kmart store site.
? What’s next: Company officials were not available to comment on future plans for the 10-acre site.
Kuni Enterprises purchased the store property earlier this month from its longtime owner, Rosemary Parker of Ridgefield.
In 2004, Kuni Enterprises moved its business office from Portland to 203 S.E. Park Plaza Drive in Vancouver. At the time, Kuni officials said the move would ease the tax burden on its shareholders who were paying Oregon corporate income tax on earnings from all of its locations. The company employed 800 people, was selling 7,800 new cars annually and expected to generate 2004 revenue of $600 million.
The company, launched in 1970, operates dealerships selling high-end vehicles made by such makers as Lexus, BMW, Volkswagen and Cadillac. Kuni operates a Washington dealership in Lynnwood, as well as Oregon dealerships in Portland and Beaverton, California dealerships in Sacramento and Roseville, and Colorado dealerships in Littleton, Colorado Springs and Centennial.
Several of Kuni’s dealerships sell brands not represented by the mix of dealerships in Clark County, according to Jon Creedon, president of the Vancouver Ford. Creedon speculated that if Kuni was planning to develop a car dealership in Vancouver, the company would only be able to open a store that isn’t already represented here. Auto franchises that are not represented in Clark County include Acura, BMW, Volvo, Mercedes, Jaguar, Infinity, Land Rover, Mini Cooper and Lexus, Creedon said.
The 10-acre site could easily accommodate up to three dealership brands, he said.
“I can only speculate. It’s a high-traffic site near the other car dealers; there are some positives there,” Creedon said.
Kmart operated its store at the Andresen Road site since 1975. Its closure will affect 68 employees.
