Kari Toyota Clears Up Rumors About New Location In Superior

I had a friend reach out to me the other day and ask me if I had heard the rumor that Kari Toyota in Superior wasn't going forward with building a new location. The Kari family purchased the land that used to be where the Manning motel was, just off the bong bridge.

They got to work demolishing the old motel, which had been an eyesore and a spot where the crime was taking place. It took a lot of work and effort to do it safely. They even allowed the Superior Fire Department to use the motel for training purposes before they tore it down.

I reached out today to the owner and General Manager Chris Kari to ask about the rumors. He said he's been hearing that rumor too, but it's not true. The timeline, however, has changed.

They were preparing to break ground on the site this spring. He and his wife Amy had visited other Toyota dealerships out of the area to see what kind of buildings and layouts worked best for similar single-family owners. They had the plans all drawn up and were planning on breaking ground, but then something we are all familiar with happened.

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Prices of materials exploded. From when they started the design process to now, the prices increased a huge amount. So much so that it's nowhere near the budget they had in place when they began.

Because of this, they have to do some re-designing of the building. Unfortunately, that has set them back on the timeline, but they are definitely going to still be building the new location. He estimates they have been set back about a year. There is a lot of paperwork and design elements that need to be redone.

Chris also told me that he's working with adjacent landowners to discuss their plans. He points out that it is a great location, and other businesses may want to develop in the area, so they want to make sure they have the layout right for any future plans.

It's still going to be an exciting change for the Twin Ports. With Kari Toyota being next to the Bong Bridge, it will be more accessible for The Northland. The Kari family continues to be excited about building a beautiful new facility in the Superior community, which they have been a part of for 90 years.