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Demolition of Kerns Chevrolet GMC at 218 S. Walnut St. began last week.
CELINA- Kerns Chevrolet GMC is taking steps to rebuild following a fire that gutted the business on April 3.
No one was injured in the blaze believed to have started between the service area and offices on the north side of the dealership at 218 South Walnut St., but the facility was considered a total loss, Celina Fire Chief Joel Lange had said.
The fire has since been deemed an accident by the state fire marshal, according to dealership president and chief executive officer Mike Kerns.
VTF Excavation of Celina began demolition of the remainder of the dealership last week, per Celina Mayor Jeff Hazel.
"That building is coming down," Kerns said at a Celina City Planning Commission meeting late last month. "The insurance company said that it can't be remodeled."
Kerns Chevrolet GMC at 218 S. Walnut St. caught fire April 3. Demolition began last week by VTF Excavation. The dealership will eventually be rebuilt on the lot that houses the Kerns Ford dealership at 500 W. Logan St. in Celina. No one was injured in the April fire believed to have started between the service area and offices on the north side of the dealership.
Kerns told the city planning commission last month that he plans to build a new Chevrolet GMC dealership on an existing 9-acre section of land beside the Kerns Ford dealership at 500 W. Logan St. in Celina.
"We're planning to build there, but I did get a setback a couple weeks ago," he said. "I didn't realize there is a sanitary utility line that runs right through that building. So I have to position the new building over to the east a little bit and I can put a parking lot on it, but I obviously I can't put a building."
Kerns continued that the site of Kerns Chevrolet GMC was "way too small" to rebuild on.
"I didn't even have an office in there," Kerns said. "We had varied space. I had the parts department in that other building across the alley. I was really starved for space. I had a limited number of service bays, so I couldn't have a parts department there. My detail department had to be down the street. It was like a one-car showroom."
Celina City Planning Commissioners approved a site plan review from Kerns Chevrolet on Aug. 23 requesting conditional approval to allow car sales off the lot at 225 S. Main St., which is zoned B-2 general business district, for one year.
The lot is currently owned by Lake Edge LLC and is now being be leased and used by Kerns to display around 10-20 budget vehicles while the company recovers from 3 fire, Kerns said.
Kerns Chevrolet GMC at 218 S. Walnut St. caught fire April 3. Demolition began last week by VTF Excavation. The dealership will eventually be rebuilt on the lot that houses the Kerns Ford dealership at 500 W. Logan St. in Celina. No one was injured in the April fire believed to have started between the service area and offices on the north side of the dealership.
Kerns Chevrolet GMC at 218 S. Walnut St. caught fire April 3. Demolition began last week by VTF Excavation. The dealership will eventually be rebuilt on the lot that houses the Kerns Ford dealership at 500 W. Logan St. in Celina. No one was injured in the April fire believed to have started between the service area and offices on the north side of the dealership.
Kerns Chevrolet GMC at 218 S. Walnut St. caught fire April 3. Demolition began last week by VTF Excavation. The dealership will eventually be rebuilt on the lot that houses the Kerns Ford dealership at 500 W. Logan St. in Celina. No one was injured in the April fire believed to have started between the service area and offices on the north side of the dealership.
