OTTAWA — Advantage Ford has signed an agreement for a new site. The company said that it will buy the site of a former convenience store at 226 W. 23rd St and build a new Ford store. “After an exhaustive search, we feel this property offers the best visibility and convenience for our customers,” said C. Wayne Pyrant, CEO and owner of Advantage Ford. As one condition of the company buying the franchise, Ford wanted the dealership to move to a location of at least five acres, which the new site fulfills, Rich Nunez, Advantage general manager said. The new location will allow Advantage Ford to double the size of its service department, Nunez said. The new site also mirrors the fact that Ottawa has been growing south and west towards I-35, he said. The process of closing the sale, having engineers and architects develop site plans and secure the appropriate city permits will take two to three months, with construction to begin as rapidly as possible. The new site should be operating by the middle of next year he said. The company has made a point of being a part of the community and Advantage Ford has received strong support from the people of Ottawa and Franklin County, which has made the move possible, Pyrant said.
Thursday, March 8, 3 p.m.
