Ballwin Nissan Dealer Has Grand Opening Thursday

There was no shortage of flair at the ribbon-cutting for the new Nissan dealership in Ballwin, which now has the company’s largest car dealership in the Midwest, company representatives said Thursday.

The 50,000 square foot space may look daunting, with a chrome exterior that houses four customer lounges, including a café, children’s game room, wifi “quiet” room and TV lounge, as well as a vehicle service area and a women's boutique — and oh yes, space outdoors for a few hundred Nissan cars.

With food, live music and memorable additions like a “human roll-out red carpet,” the car dealership no doubt made an impression on an estimated 200-plus guests in attendance.

General Manager Bill Haegele called the facility a “dream come true” that started about two years ago when he and his colleagues were trying to identify a good location to expand their dealership.

“At the time, I knew this was going to be unique,” Haegele said Thursday.

Among other characteristics that distinguish the dealership from its peers is the building’s history: Prior to construction this year, the space was home to the Plunkett Furniture Gallery.

Rich Obertino was the architect for the new facility.

“It’s amazing how the proportions of the warehouse space worked to fit this service department,” Obertino said. Specifically, Obertino said the western part of the building used to house high-bay racks and a a mezzanine with a front office upstairs.

“So we tore that out and had all this high-bay space that worked great for the new service department.”

Ballwin City Planner Tom Aiken and Alderman Michael Finley both said they were pleased with how well West County Nissan’s plans aligned with the city’s goals set out under the Great Streets Initiative.

“Everything fits well with our goals for Manchester Road and having quality businesses along the Manchester corridor,” Finley said.

Finley said he also was pleased to learn that earlier this year, representatives of the dealership went door-to-door to speak to neighbors just north of the facility to address any potential concerns with the new business.  As a result, the dealership’s management agreed to turn off their rear lights by 10 p.m. 

“They’re very conscious of the fact that they are now neighbors with a number of residents in the City of Ballwin,” Finley said. “So I just can’t say enough. They’ve done a fantastic job.”