Tesla eyeing new dealership in Riverdale, the third in Utah
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- Tesla, the electric automaker, proposes building a dealership at this site at 4851 S. 1500 West in Riverdale, pictured Thursday, May 25, 2023. If plans move forward, it would be the third Tesla dealership in Utah.
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- Tesla, the electric automaker, proposes building a dealership at this site at 4851 S. 1500 West in Riverdale, pictured Thursday, May 25, 2023. If plans move forward, it would be the third Tesla dealership in Utah.
RIVERDALE — Elon Musk is eyeing a move to Riverdale.
Well, Tesla, the Austin, Texas-based electric auto firm he leads, is looking to open a dealership in Weber County, anyway. It’d be just the third Tesla location in Utah, on top of stores in South Salt Lake and Pleasant Grove.
The Riverdale Planning Commission last Tuesday approved a conditional use permit allowing an auto dealership at the proposed Tesla site at 4851 S. 1500 West, which sits north of Riverdale Road between Interstate 15 and I-84.
The Planning Commission also recommended approval of the Tesla site plan for the 5.3-acre land parcel, now owned by the Riverdale Redevelopment Agency, a city entity led by the Riverdale mayor and City Council. The City Council has final say and, presuming city officials give the plans the green light, Tesla is eager to get going, said Mike Eggett, the Riverdale community development director.
“I know they’re pretty aggressive,” he said, estimating work could start by the fall.
Auto dealerships aren’t new to Riverdale. At least four sit along Riverdale Road, including Larry Miller Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram Riverdale, Wasatch Front Kia, Tony Divino Toyota and Ken Garff Honda. Tesla, though, is a smaller auto company that generally caters to a higher-end clientele.
Moreover, it is unique among automakers in that it usually sells its autos online, delivering them to customers at dealerships, according to Jake Tate of Salt Lake City-based AWA Engineering, which is assisting with engineering of the site. He’s not exactly sure what sort of operation is in the works in Riverdale but noted that the site plan calls for some 300 parking stalls at the proposed location. A 50,355-square-foot facility would house operations.
An entity out of Texas, 6S T Riverdale UT, is helping spearhead the development, serving as an intermediary between Tesla and the City of Riverdale, according to Eggett. The rep from the Dallas firm didn’t respond to Standard-Examiner queries seeking comment.
Tesla would acquire the land where the store’s to be built from the Riverdale Redevelopment Agency. The sale hasn’t yet been finalized, so Eggett wouldn’t reveal the price 6S T Riverdale UT will pay for the land.
Most of the commercial outlets of Riverdale Road sit east of I-84. With Tesla’s plans to open an operation on undeveloped land further west and other recent development in the area, though, Eggett foresees the land filling and a lot of growth in the area over the long haul.
Ogden-Hinckley Airport, where Ogden leaders envision growth, sits north of the location, Eggett noted. To the south adjacent to Hill Air Force Base, Northrop Grumman is developing the Roy Innovation Center. The firm will be hiring thousands of people as part of its efforts to help the Air Force develop the LGM-35A Sentinel weapon system, which will replace the aging Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile system.
“From Northrop Grumman to the airport, there’s a lot of things going on,” Eggett said.