Downtown Fresno’s fourth generation Jaguar dealership, Haron Jaguar Land Rover — a fixture in the community since 1945 — is saying goodbye to its old 13,000 building at 2222 Ventura St., which will be demolished and replaced with a new, futuristic space more than three times the current size.

Dealership owner Randy Haron said the overhaul was mostly motivated by a need for more space. When Haron first began working at the dealership in 1993, he said it was typical to sell only 10 vehicles a month — and that was considered good. But now a good sales figure is between 85 and 100 units each month. With an increased emphasis in sales also comes an increase in inventory and the current Jaguar building is bursting at the seams with 250 units on the lot.

“We are just out of room,” Haron said.

Rather than leave the downtown area that has served the dealership well for 72 years, Haron said he first contemplated a remodel before ultimately decided to tear the whole thing down and start from scratch.

“The current dealership is so small compared to what it will be,” Haron said, noting that the sales department and showroom will be three times larger and the parts department will be four times larger in the new 43,500 square foot building. The service department, he said, will be capable of servicing 24 cars simultaneously.

In order to build the expansive new site, Haron said part of L Street will be removed and another lot has been purchased across the street.
Demolition on the current building begins June 7 and construction should be completed within 12 months. In the meantime, the dealership has moved into a temporary location at 2048 Ventura St., one block west of the current location, where sales and service to all vehicles will take place during the construction process.

Haron said he is excited to be bringing a new dealership to Fresno’s downtown and he is proud to be part of the area and its revitalization efforts.

“I grew up in Fresno and love this city,” Haron said. “We’ve had many opportunities to leave downtown, but as long as there’s a Haron running our family business, we’ll be right where we are.”

The Haron Jaguar Land Rover dealership is currently the No. 1 Jaguar dealership per capita in the nation.