After 59 years on the corner of Chapala and Ortega streets, Santa Barbara’s Volkswagen dealership is closing up shop.
While another dealership could come in, the property is technically two separate parcels, making the next logical choice two new tenants, said Gene Deering, senior vice president of Radius Commercial Real Estate & Investments, which was hired to find the next tenants.
The corner location and its copious parking make it a flexible spot for a variety of retail or office types, Deering said, with 4,000 square feet to the full 13,500 square feet available for lease.
Dealership owner Kevin Eckhart declined to comment on when or why Volkswagen will close or whether it will relocate to another location.
The dealership opened at 630 Chapala St. in 1958, and at various times also sold Porsche, Mazda, Renault and Peugeot vehicles.
— Noozhawk staff writer Sam Goldman can be reached at sgoldman@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.