Vacant West Allis car lot will be reborn as Audi dealer

West Allis - The old Gordie Boucher Nissan dealership that has been vacant for two years on Highway 100 will get a new lease on life as an Audi dealership, complete with a high-tech new showroom and service area.

West Allis officials have given their blessings to International Autos, which operates a neighboring dealership, to go ahead with dramatic remodeling plans for the Boucher site and open the new dealership as an adjunct to its current business.

Currently, International Autos sells Audi, BMW, Infiniti, Maserati, Volvo, Subaru, Mercedes, Mini, Maybach and Porsche at 2400 S. 108th St. City officials expect the new Audi dealership at 10606 W. Arthur Ave. to open in spring.

A better look

Despite the Arthur Avenue address, the dealership is highly visible along Highway 100, which in recent years the city has worked with existing businesses to improve in appearance.

The current Boucher building will be dressed up with metallic panels sporting a metallic mesh and a lot of glass, said Steve Schaer, West Allis' manager of planning and zoning.

"It'll be very high-tech architecture," he said.

And it will be in keeping with the redesigned showroom next door at International Autos. Schaer described that showroom as flashy and contemporary, also with a lot of glass and metal. It has a new clean looking, contemporary feel, he said.

Dealership trend

The International Autos redesign was in line with other car dealership upgrades that have come to highway 100 in recent years, Schaer said.

Heiser Chevrolet, for example, recently upgraded its building and added landscaping. The city requires 20 percent landscaping with upgrades, Schaer said, but dealerships seem to want to do that anyway.

Arrow-Hyundai, 10611 W/ Arthur Ave., and Wilde Toyota, 3225 S. 108th St., also upgraded over the years, Schaer said.

A lot of it is market-driven, he said. Dealership owners want a sharp new image to sell cars while the city wants a certain amount of landscaping, he said.

"It's a win-win for everybody," he said.