Marcus Breitschwerdt, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Canada, was joined today by company executives to officially break ground and begin construction of a new Mercedes-Benz dealership on Terminal Avenue. This brand new flagship facility will further augment Mercedes-Benz Canada’s prominent corporate identity in downtown Vancouver. It will also play a leading role in the overall redevelopment of Mercedes-Benz Canada’s existing, corporately owned Greater Vancouver Area retail operations, which employs more than 400 people.
Construction of the impressive new building will commence immediately on a 3.0 acre site on Terminal Avenue, which is located approximately five minutes from Mercedes-Benz Vancouver on West Broadway. When it was opened in 1976, the West Broadway dealership was a pioneer in its own right. Its forward-thinking design and infrastructure were ahead of its time, and allowed Mercedes-Benz Vancouver to proudly serve the automotive community for over 35 years.
With more than a decade of compounded sales growth, and a finite amount of space, Mercedes-Benz Vancouver has outgrown its landmark location. Terminal Avenue is a main artery, and burgeoning area located in close proximity to the downtown core. To help keep pace with this vibrant city, the new facility will ultimately replace the West Broadway dealership, and will be a worthy successor when it is completed next year.
As a world-class city and recognized environmental leader, Vancouver’s progressive and savvy market has long embraced the Mercedes-Benz brand and recognized the quality and innovation that is inherent in every vehicle. In return, Mercedes-Benz Canada is excited to invest in this vital market and better serve the needs of customers by erecting a modern new structure that will offer over 165,000 square feet of space and significantly expanded sales and aftersales capacity. The overall site plan also adds a considerable amount of parking compared to the current facility.
Consistent with the design of other dealerships in Mercedes-Benz Canada’s nationwide retail network, the layout of the Terminal Avenue facility will follow the Mercedes-Benz proprietary “Autohaus” concept, which promotes the widespread use of glass to maintain transparency and create a bright, open concept feeling. In addition to a spacious new car showroom, the building plan will include 19 state-of-the-art service work bays and an expansive indoor Pre-owned showroom that will accommodate up to 26 vehicles.
A number of environmentally conscious elements will also be integrated into the overall design of the dealership, including electric vehicle charging stations, a sun reflective rooftop parking area and a green screen planting wall surrounding the parkade. The extensive rooftop planting will be irrigated by a high-efficiency system that is fed from a rain water harvesting cistern, and a special solar cavity wall will capture the heat from the sun to help regulate the building’s temperature.
"Mercedes-Benz Canada and our dealers have invested more than a quarter of a billion dollars in the last few years alone to ensure that every dealership in our network provides a purchase, service and parts experience that is truly commensurate with our brand,” said Marcus Breitschwerdt, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Canada. “Over 125 years ago, our company’s founding fathers invented the automobile, and through a strong commitment to innovation, we have remained a benchmark in the automotive industry. Our investment in the Terminal Avenue dealership opens a new chapter and marks the reinvention of West Broadway, underscoring our passionate commitment to the Vancouver market and providing an outstanding new platform to deliver on our historic promise of always offering the absolute best automotive experience in the premium segment.”
