Tesla Motors plans dealership, regional repair facility in St. Petersburg
By Breanne Williams
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Apr 11, 2022

Tesla Motors is planning to open a dealership and regional repair facility in St. Petersburg.

The electric vehicle company plans to take over the former Kane’s Furniture liquidation center at 4601 34th St. N., according to documents filed with Pinellas County.

The Kane’s building is 102,410 square feet and sits on 4.21 acres. Tesla plans to renovate the property to include the following:

a 50,000-square-foot storage building for its vehicles

a service center that ranges from 35,000 to 45,000 square feet

an 8,000- to 10,000-square-foot portion dedicated to storing vehicle parts

a 3,000-square-foot showroom

The delivery bay will be located in the front of the building, facing 34th Street.

The Pinellas County Board of Adjustment and Appeals approved the project on April 6, subject to conditions like proper permitting and the appropriate review of a site plan. Tesla is expected to purchase the property soon.

Tesla will not make significant changes to the existing structure of the building or the current drives, parking and walkways, according to the county documents.

The company will add new features such as enhanced lighting, a new roof and curb stops and intend to add a variety of improvements to landscaping, which the company said appears to be the original concept from when the building was constructed in the mid-1970s. The building will be repainted, and new lighting will also be added.

“Delivery will take place out of this location for both vehicles ordered onsite and online as Tesla does not carry much inventory,” documents submitted to the county read. “Most of their fleet is custom ordered and delivered at a future date.”

The Tesla Center will reside in the Lealman Community Redevelopment Area, which was established in 2015. According to the county, Lealman “offers significant opportunity for reinvestment” due to its access to major roadways, proximity to the Pinellas Trail and downtown St. Pete and its varying land uses for both housing and retail redevelopment.

One of Tesla’s core missions is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and the company told the county that “by allowing automotive sales at this property, it further accelerates the transportation green initiative of Pinellas County.”

The company will also be employing “in excess of 50 software service automotive technicians” at the location, according to county documents.

This is the second major tech company to invest in the area. Amazon broke ground in October 2021 on a new delivery station, which will be approximately 40,000 square feet, at 6101 45th St. N. This will be one of five new delivery stations coming throughout the state. Amazon is also building a 630,000-square-foot fulfillment center in Tallahassee. Combined, the facilities are expected to create 2,000 jobs in the state by the end of the year.

There are currently several Tesla facilities and showrooms in Florida, including in Tampa, Orlando and South Florida. This will be the first Tesla center in Pinellas County.